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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: plane · pitcher · rock · stick · craft · pit · kid · fork

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rock — a stone
  7. kid — to tease
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. kid — child
  15. pit — in a race
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rock — music
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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