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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.

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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: nail · spell · pitch · rash · bat · band · charge · pound

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bat — the animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. band — a music group
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rash — a series
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. spell — letters
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spell — magic
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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