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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: swing · pitch · lean · mark · craft · foot · land · lie

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. swing — to play on
  3. land — a country
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitch — completely
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. land — ground
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. foot — a measure
  11. swing — music
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. swing — in golf
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mark — a grade
  22. land — to come down
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pitch — a sports field

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