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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · march · charge · field · chip · pitch · spell · fork

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — in control
  4. spell — letters
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. march — music
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chip — for betting
  18. charge — a price
  19. spell — magic
  20. march — the month
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. field — farmland

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com