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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 · march · mark · bat · row · rush · spell · pitch

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. charge — in control
  4. march — the month
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mark — a trace
  8. row — a line
  9. pitch — completely
  10. row — to paddle
  11. march — music
  12. spell — letters
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. charge — a price
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bat — the animal

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