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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: saw · charge · craft · pitch · deal · cell

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. deal — to handle
  3. charge — in control
  4. cell — a phone
  5. craft — a skill
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cell — in biology

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