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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
468
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: drill · safe · pitch · cold · capital · charge · rash · rock

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pitch — completely
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rock — music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. charge — in control
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. capital — a city
  13. charge — a price
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rash — a series
  16. rock — a stone
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cold — an illness
  20. drill — army training
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rash — hasty
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cold — the Cold War

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