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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 · cell · rush · nail · pitch · field · court · mouse

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. charge — in control
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. field — farmland
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitch — completely
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. field — a subject
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. charge — a price
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. court — of a king

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