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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: bat · bound · last · pit · pitch · racket · charge · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cap — a hat
  4. last — final
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cap — a lid
  12. charge — a price
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. last — finally
  19. bound — certain
  20. pit — a hole
  21. charge — in control
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. last — to go on
  24. racket — a loud noise

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