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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: date · pitch · stand · mate · charge · file · hand · row

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. row — to paddle
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mate — to breed
  9. file — a line of people
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. file — a document
  14. charge — a price
  15. mate — a partner
  16. row — a line
  17. file — a tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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