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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 120 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: file · club · pit · stand · craft · mouse · mark · pitcher

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. file — a document
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — a group
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. file — a tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. craft — a skill

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