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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: pound · staff · pitch · craft · pass · cold

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cold — not warm
  6. staff — a stick
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cold — an illness
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. staff — employees
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitch — completely
  15. staff — employees
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. craft — boats
  18. pound — a weight

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