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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.

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: charge · ground · perch · bat · craft · sharp · snap · coach

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. craft — a skill
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. charge — a price
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. craft — boats
  9. ground — a position
  10. sharp — clever
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. perch — the fish
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bat — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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