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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: mug · roll · sharp · rule · field · charge · saw · pitch

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. field — farmland
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — a subject
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. roll — a list
  11. rule — a law
  12. charge — in control
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mug — to rob
  17. sharp — clever
  18. charge — electricity
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — a face
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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