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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 120 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
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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: dip · bay · charge · craft · bound · pitch · lean · bat

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. lean — thin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bound — certain
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. craft — boats
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. craft — a handicraft

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