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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.

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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: snap · drill · pitch · charge · club · pass · rock · pit

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. drill — army training
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. club — for golf
  7. pit — in a race
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rock — music
  15. snap — to click
  16. pit — a hole
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pitch — completely
  19. charge — in control
  20. club — a group
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rock — a stone
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pass — to spend time

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