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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: craft · bass · leaves · pit · snap · stick · net · charge

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. charge — a price
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. net — after costs
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bass — the fish
  9. charge — in control
  10. net — in sport
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. charge — electricity
  14. craft — a skill
  15. net — for catching
  16. snap — to click
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. craft — boats
  19. bass — low music
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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