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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: pitch · snap · mouse · swing · charge · hand · arm · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. snap — to click
  6. charge — in control
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. swing — music
  15. hand — help
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. swing — in golf
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitch — completely

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