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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wake — a trail
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. key — for a lock
  17. craft — a skill
  18. arm — a part of something

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