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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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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: bay · pit · kick · charge · chest · fine · craft · mate

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. charge — in control
  4. fine — all right
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mate — to breed
  9. kick — in football
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mate — a partner
  15. chest — of your body
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chest — a box
  19. charge — a price
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. kick — a thrill

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