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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: wave · toast · pitch · craft · bank · race

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. race — a contest
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. toast — bread
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bank — for money
  9. race — humankind
  10. pitch — completely
  11. race — the arms race
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bank — of a river
  15. craft — boats
  16. bank — for money
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired

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