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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. craft — boats
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cue — a hint
  9. suit — to fit
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. lean — to bend
  17. suit — in cards
  18. file — a tool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. suit — clothes
  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