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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: pitch · charge · bore · wind · board · sharp · hide · bowl

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. charge — a price
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. charge — electricity
  5. board — to get on
  6. charge — in control
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. board — a committee
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitch — completely
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wind — moving air
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bowl — a football final

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