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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 120 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: charge · temple · drill · race · pitch · file · press · mine

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. drill — a practice
  3. press — newspapers
  4. charge — in control
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. race — humankind
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. file — a document
  9. press — to push
  10. race — a contest
  11. drill — army training
  12. file — a tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitch — completely
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. race — the arms race
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mine — for digging
  21. drill — the tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. charge — electricity
  24. temple — side of the head

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