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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: bore · charge · date · club · tube · pitch · last · ground

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bore — to drill
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. last — to go on
  8. tube — a container
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. charge — a price
  11. club — for dancing
  12. charge — electricity
  13. club — for golf
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. club — a group
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ground — a position
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bore — to tire
  22. charge — in control
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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