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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitch · cabinet · charge · march · wave · court · track · drill

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. drill — army training
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. charge — electricity
  7. court — of law
  8. march — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — a song
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. court — for sport
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. track — to keep track
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. track — a path
  22. pitch — completely
  23. march — the month
  24. court — of a king

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