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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: tear · trunk · pitch · cap · craft · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tear — from crying
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. tear — to rip
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cap — a lid
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. craft — boats
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tear — from crying

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