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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · craft · straw · pitcher · mark · file · season · rest

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. file — a document
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rest — a break
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. season — of the year
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. file — a line of people
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. season — in sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mark — a trace
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. file — a tool
  20. mark — a grade
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rest — what's left

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