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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.

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: plane · charge · scale · kick · pitcher · kid · rash · snap

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rash — a series
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. snap — to click
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. charge — electricity
  12. kick — in football
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. charge — in control
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rash — hasty
  23. kid — child
  24. charge — a price

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