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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: charge · coach · game · rush · pitch · nail · spell · cue

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitch — completely
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spell — letters
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — a match
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cue — a hint
  18. charge — a price
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cue — for pool
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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