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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: chest · pitcher · jam · nail · deal · charge · craft · kid

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — a price
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. craft — a skill
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. craft — boats
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chest — a box
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kid — child
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. deal — to handle
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. charge — electricity
  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