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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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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: fork · craft · bowl · pitch · content · chest

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chest — a box
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fork — in a road
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. content — happy
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chest — of your body
  14. craft — boats
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. content — the amount
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fork — to eat with

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