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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: chair · date · pitch · saw · cap · file · can · charge

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. charge — a price
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. can — to be able to
  8. file — a line of people
  9. saw — the tool
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pitch — completely
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cap — a hat
  17. can — a tin
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. file — a document
  23. date — the fruit
  24. file — a tool

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