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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. craft — boats
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. root — of a word
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fine — high quality

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