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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: rash · wake · rock · pitch · game · dip · charge · ground

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. charge — in control
  3. rash — hasty
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rash — a series
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. pitch — completely
  11. charge — a price
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ground — the earth
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ground — a position
  20. rock — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. charge — electricity
  23. dip — to dunk
  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