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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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468
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: craft · kid · bat · pitch · face · object · bass · charge

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bass — low music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. object — a thing
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. kid — child
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. object — an aim
  16. charge — electricity
  17. face — to confront
  18. bass — the fish
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pitch — completely
  21. charge — a price
  22. face — part of the head
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. object — to protest

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