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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: ground · lean · hand · charge · pitch · game · leaves · mate

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ground — crushed
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mate — a partner
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lean — thin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. hand — in cards
  16. game — a match
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ground — a position
  21. charge — in control
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mate — to breed
  24. charge — a price

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