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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — music
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. season — of the year
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hand — help
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rock — a stone
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pitch — completely

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