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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 120 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: last · ball · suit · bat · wave · dip · charge · pitcher

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. dip — to sink
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ball — a dance
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bat — the animal
  24. last — finally

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