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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: bat · wake · pit · key · charge · deal · kid · fine

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. charge — a price
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. charge — in control
  9. fine — high quality
  10. deal — to handle
  11. kid — child
  12. fine — all right
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. key — in music
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. key — for a lock

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