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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 · game · mark · pitch · march · spring · staff · mate

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — completely
  3. staff — a stick
  4. march — the month
  5. spring — a coil
  6. game — wild animals
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mark — a grade
  11. game — a match
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mate — a partner
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spring — the season
  20. mate — to breed
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spring — of water

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