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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: fine · ball · game · root · march · pitch · charge · present

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. charge — a price
  3. march — music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. game — wild animals
  6. march — the month
  7. present — the time now
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. present — a gift
  10. fine — all right
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. march — the month
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ball — a dance
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. game — a match
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. root — of a word
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. root — of a plant
  22. present — there
  23. pitch — completely
  24. root — the cause

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