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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 116 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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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: pass · charge · swing · pitch · file · season · race · fall

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. file — a tool
  12. race — a contest
  13. pass — a permit
  14. swing — music
  15. season — of the year
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fall — the season
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pitch — completely
  20. season — in sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. file — a document
  23. charge — a price
  24. fall — to drop

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