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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: staff · wake · mark · season · foot · hand · charge · pitch

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mark — a grade
  9. staff — employees
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wake — a trail
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. charge — a price
  18. hand — help
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. staff — employees
  22. charge — in control
  23. season — in sport
  24. mark — to pay attention

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