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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: leaves · ball · pitch · row · bound · deal · trunk · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. deal — to handle
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bound — certain
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. craft — boats
  17. ball — a great time
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pitch — completely
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bound — obliged
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bound — tied together

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