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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: suit · plane · charge · cell · pitch · stick · kid · ball

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — a price
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitch — completely
  11. suit — clothes
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cell — a phone
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kid — child
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. charge — in control

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