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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 · pitcher · rest · swing · mark · row · firm · saw

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. swing — in golf
  3. firm — decided
  4. rest — a break
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. craft — boats
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. firm — a company
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rest — what's left
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. firm — steady
  21. swing — music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — to pay attention

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