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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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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: trunk · pitch · wave · mine · pit · charge · race · bay

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pit — a hole
  18. charge — a price
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. race — humankind
  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