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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 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitch — completely
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. field — for sport
  9. key — for a lock
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bass — low music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. pop — soda
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bass — the fish
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pop — music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pitch — a sports field

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