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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: tear · craft · foot · rash · arm · pitch · content · bound

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. tear — to rip
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bound — tied together
  7. craft — a skill
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bound — obliged
  13. tear — from crying
  14. foot — a measure
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. content — the amount
  17. bound — certain
  18. content — happy
  19. rash — a series
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. arm — part of the body

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