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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: board · saw · pitch · wake · cap · ground · charge · deal

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. deal — to handle
  3. charge — in control
  4. cap — a hat
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cap — of ice
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — the earth
  12. charge — a price
  13. cap — a lid
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ground — a position
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. board — a committee
  24. charge — electricity

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