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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 120 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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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: snap · object · pass · charge · pitch · content · mug · march

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pitch — completely
  3. object — a thing
  4. content — the amount
  5. snap — to click
  6. charge — a price
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mug — a face
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. object — an aim
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. mug — a cup
  18. content — happy
  19. mug — to rob
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. march — the month
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pass — a permit

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