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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · firm · game · content · plane · pound · roll

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. content — happy
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. roll — a cake
  19. content — the amount
  20. roll — a list
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitch — completely
  23. firm — steady
  24. game — wild animals

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