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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 120 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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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 · charge · pitch · race · board · net · snap · mouse

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. charge — in control
  5. staff — employees
  6. race — a contest
  7. snap — to click
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. race — humankind
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitch — completely
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — to get on
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. net — for catching
  20. race — the arms race
  21. staff — a stick
  22. board — a committee
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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