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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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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: season · mark · bat · can · pitch · bank · charge · spell

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bank — for money
  4. bat — the animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. season — of the year
  8. spell — letters
  9. can — to be able to
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mark — a grade
  13. spell — magic
  14. can — a tin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. season — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bank — for money
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. charge — a price
  24. mark — a trace

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