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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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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 · pound · mark · bay · arm · stick · straw · pitcher

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. craft — boats
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mark — a trace
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pound — a weight
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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