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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 · pitch · lie · present · snap · rash · firm · pitcher

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. firm — steady
  6. rash — a series
  7. present — there
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — decided
  10. snap — to click
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. present — a gift
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. present — the time now
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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