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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: pitch · sharp · swing · charge · fork · temple · snap · rash

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pitch — completely
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rash — a series
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. charge — a price
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. sharp — clever
  13. charge — in control
  14. snap — to click
  15. rash — hasty
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fork — in a road
  24. sharp — exactly

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