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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: ruler · bore · craft · rash · date · fine · pitch · hand

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rash — a series
  6. fine — all right
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bore — to drill
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fine — high quality
  20. craft — a skill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hand — help
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. hand — in cards

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