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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
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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: ground · mug · pitcher · pitch · charge · wave · cabinet · bore

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mug — a face
  6. charge — in control
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ground — a position
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ground — crushed

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