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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: foot · pitcher · bank · straw · rock · pass · craft · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. craft — boats
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bank — for money
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bank — of a river
  21. craft — a skill
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — a permit

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