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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: arm · squash · ground · mug · pitcher · charge · craft · fall

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — a face
  5. charge — electricity
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fall — the season
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mug — to rob
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ground — a position
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ground — the earth
  21. craft — boats
  22. charge — a price
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mug — a cup

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