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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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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: board · game · race · trunk · charge · sharp · last · pitch

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pitch — completely
  4. race — a contest
  5. last — final
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. last — to go on
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. charge — electricity
  10. board — a committee
  11. sharp — clever
  12. board — to get on
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. race — humankind
  16. charge — a price
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. charge — in control
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. game — wild animals
  22. last — finally
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. game — a match

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