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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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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: chest · bat · stand · mate · object · pitch · jam · charge

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — a price
  3. chest — of your body
  4. charge — electricity
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. object — a thing
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. object — an aim
  9. chest — a box
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mate — a partner
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. object — to protest
  14. charge — in control
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bat — the animal

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