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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
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: charge · mark · pass · land · drill · arm · pitch · cue

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mark — a grade
  3. charge — in control
  4. cue — a hint
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. land — to come down
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pass — a permit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. charge — a price
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. land — ground
  21. charge — electricity
  22. drill — the tool
  23. land — a country
  24. mark — to pay attention

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