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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 116 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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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: capital · charge · pitch · pit · stand · sharp · rule · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rule — a law
  9. capital — a city
  10. charge — in control
  11. capital — money
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ball — a dance
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. capital — a big letter

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