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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: pitch · track · present · rush · current · fan · craft · toast

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. present — the time now
  12. pitch — completely
  13. current — happening now
  14. track — a path
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — electric
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — of water
  19. track — a song
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. craft — boats
  23. present — there
  24. toast — bread

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