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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: snap · pit · charge · content · lean · pitcher · bark · foot

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. charge — electricity
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pit — in a race
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — happy
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bark — to shout
  14. charge — in control
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. content — the amount
  20. charge — a price
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. snap — to click

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