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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: charge · mug · foot · arm · wound · pitch · snap · object

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. charge — electricity
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. charge — a price
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. charge — in control
  13. object — an aim
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mug — a face
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wound — an injury
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to click
  21. foot — a measure
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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