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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.

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: pitch · leaves · game · spell · deal · dip · charge · staff

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. staff — a stick
  4. spell — magic
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. game — wild animals
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. dip — to sink
  16. spell — letters
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. staff — employees
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pitch — completely
  22. charge — in control
  23. staff — employees
  24. game — a match

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