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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: craft · bore · mate · file · clip · nail · pitch · rest

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bore — to tire
  5. clip — to cut
  6. craft — boats
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mate — to breed
  10. craft — a skill
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — a break
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. file — a line of people
  18. clip — a video
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. file — a tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. clip — for paper

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