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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: charge · pitch · club · rush · spring · racket · rock · lean

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — in control
  3. lean — thin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. charge — a price
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spring — the season
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lean — to bend
  16. spring — of water
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pitch — completely
  21. club — for golf
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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