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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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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: bound · mark · drill · wind · foot · craft · pitch · fall

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. drill — army training
  4. pitch — completely
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fall — the season
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mark — a grade
  13. craft — boats
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wind — moving air
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. craft — a skill
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bound — certain
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bound — obliged

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