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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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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: can · fork · lash · pound · stick · craft · season · pitch

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. season — in sport
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. season — of the year
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. craft — boats
  24. pound — a weight

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