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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 120 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: firm · pitcher · rush · row · track · craft · chest · mate

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. craft — boats
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — a friend
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — a skill
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chest — of your body
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chest — of your body
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. row — a line
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. firm — a company
  23. chest — a box
  24. rush — a thrill

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