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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.

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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: pit · pass · bulb · craft · straw · pitch · wound · mark

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. 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. pass — to succeed
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wound — an injury
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bulb — for light
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pit — a hole
  24. 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