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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.

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: row · pitch · craft · spell · stick · ground · current · lean

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. current — happening now
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. row — a line
  8. current — electric
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ground — the earth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — thin
  14. spell — letters
  15. lean — to bend
  16. craft — boats
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ground — a position
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ground — crushed
  23. current — of water
  24. spell — a short time

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