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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: pitcher · mug · chair · ball · charge · tear · pitch · mark

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mark — a grade
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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