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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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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 · race · trunk · arm · mate · bay · pop · pitch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pop — to visit
  8. race — humankind
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pop — soda
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. charge — electricity
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mate — to breed
  19. race — a contest
  20. mate — a partner
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. charge — in control
  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