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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · staff · charge · fine · saw · key · drill · game

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. game — a match
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fine — all right
  5. drill — the tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. pitch — completely
  14. saw — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. staff — employees
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. charge — a price
  23. key — in music
  24. drill — army training

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