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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: squash · pitcher · craft · cabinet · rush · race · pitch · charge

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. race — humankind
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — to crush
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. craft — boats
  16. race — the arms race
  17. charge — a price
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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