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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · pass · tear · pitcher · bore · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bore — to drill
  8. craft — boats
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — a skill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. game — a match
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pass — a permit

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