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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: pit · saw · firm · bank · fall · sharp · march · craft

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — decided
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — the tool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. march — the month
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. march — music
  20. craft — boats
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — the season
  24. sharp — clever

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