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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: squash · firm · craft · field · can · pitch · chip · jam

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. firm — steady
  3. field — for sport
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. can — to be able to
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — to eat
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. field — a subject
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. can — a tin
  18. firm — decided
  19. field — farmland
  20. chip — for betting
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. firm — a company
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. squash — the vegetable

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