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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: rule · pitch · arm · mine · pitcher · charge · mate · rash

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitch — completely
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rule — government
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rule — a law
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — a partner
  17. charge — a price
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mate — to breed

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