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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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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: mate · charge · pound · pitch · foot · band · mark · pitcher

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. band — a music group
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. mark — a trace
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. band — a ring
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. band — a rubber band

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