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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: pitch · mate · snap · prune · craft · charge · fork · jam

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mate — a partner
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mate — to breed
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fork — in a road
  12. craft — boats
  13. charge — in control
  14. prune — to trim
  15. snap — to click
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. charge — a price
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pitch — completely

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