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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: pop · charge · mate · pitch · bay · rash · degree · hand

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. charge — in control
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rash — hasty
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. charge — electricity
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mate — a partner
  22. charge — a price
  23. pop — music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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