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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 120 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: pitcher · cue · craft · pitch · track · hand · stand · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hand — help
  4. cue — a hint
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. craft — boats
  9. track — to keep track
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. track — a song
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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