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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: kid · sharp · rash · pitcher · firm · charge · pit · mouse

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. firm — decided
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. firm — steady
  8. pit — in a race
  9. charge — a price
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. firm — a company
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. kid — child
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pitcher — a jug

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