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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: pop · saw · arm · bat · foot · fine · charge · pass

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. charge — in control
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pop — music
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pass — a permit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pop — soda
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

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