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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: cold · charge · bay · spell · ruler · pass · clip · pitch

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spell — magic
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. spell — letters
  10. cold — not warm
  11. clip — a video
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. charge — a price
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. clip — for paper
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cold — an illness
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pitch — completely
  23. charge — in control
  24. ruler — for measuring

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