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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: charge · row · chip · bat · pitch · pit · cue · craft

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. charge — a price
  3. craft — a skill
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cue — for pool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chip — for betting
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. charge — in control
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bat — the animal
  16. row — a line
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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