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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: pitch · lean · season · scale · charge · kick · sharp · pitcher

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. charge — a price
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lean — to bend
  7. charge — in control
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. scale — in music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. season — of the year
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — in football
  23. lean — thin
  24. pitch — completely

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