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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 120 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.

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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: land · saw · game · pound · bear · pitch · club · charge

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. charge — in control
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. game — wild animals
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — a country
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. club — a group
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. club — for golf
  23. game — a match
  24. bear — the animal

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