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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
468
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: court · file · pitch · date · mate · fan · bowl · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mate — to breed
  3. file — a document
  4. court — of a king
  5. mate — a partner
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. court — of law
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. charge — a price
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. court — for sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. date — on the calendar

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