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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · snap · craft · charge · pitch · date · mate · cabinet

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. charge — a price
  4. date — the fruit
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. charge — in control
  17. craft — boats
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mate — a partner
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitch — completely
  24. date — on the calendar

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