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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 116 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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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: stem · craft · firm · race · key · pitch · cabinet · clip

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. firm — a company
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. craft — boats
  8. clip — for paper
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. firm — decided
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. firm — steady
  14. race — a contest
  15. key — in music
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stem — to come from
  18. clip — to cut
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. race — humankind
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — for a lock
  24. clip — a video

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