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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
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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: game · sharp · bound · charge · chest · rush · saw · pitch

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bound — certain
  5. saw — the tool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rush — hurry
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bound — obliged
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. charge — in control
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chest — a box
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chest — of your body
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. charge — a price
  23. game — a match
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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