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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: spell · fine · mark · safe · charge · pitcher · rest · pitch

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — high quality
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spell — letters
  6. rest — a break
  7. charge — a price
  8. spell — a short time
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — magic
  19. mark — a grade
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pitch — completely

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