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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: pitch · ground · fine · chair · rash · craft

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ground — a position
  4. craft — boats
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rash — a series
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. craft — a handicraft

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