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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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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: present · wind · bear · wound · pitch · bay · pitcher · craft

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. present — there
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. present — the time now
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. present — a gift
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. craft — boats

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