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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: cap · lash · craft · field · pitch · can · cell · coach

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. craft — boats
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. field — for sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cell — in biology
  12. craft — a skill
  13. can — to be able to
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. field — farmland
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cell — a phone
  21. field — a subject
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pitch — completely

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