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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: pitcher · straw · stand · date · suit · face · craft · scale

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — to point toward
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stand — to bear
  10. suit — in cards
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. scale — in music
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. craft — boats
  17. face — to confront
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. suit — to fit
  21. face — part of the head
  22. scale — size or range
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. craft — a handicraft

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