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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: craft · cabinet · rock · stick · nail · pop · pitch · straw

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. craft — boats
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — soda
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cabinet — ministers

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