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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.

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: wake · rock · craft · tube · sharp · game · pitcher · fall

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tube — a container
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. game — a match
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fall — the season
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — boats
  22. sharp — clever
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rock — music

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