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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: court · pitch · mark · calf · pass · charge · mouse · rush

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pass — a permit
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pass — to spend time

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