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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 · rest · rule · pitcher · dip · season · stick · bat

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rule — government
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rest — a break
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. season — in sport
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rule — a law
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. season — of the year
  23. craft — boats
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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