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

Word bank: pit · pass · snap · wave · charge · court

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. court — of law
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. court — of a king
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. snap — to click
  14. pit — a hole
  15. court — for sport
  16. charge — in control
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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