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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: date · toast · rush · craft · saw · tube · rock · pitch

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rock — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. craft — a skill
  7. date — the fruit
  8. toast — bread
  9. pitch — completely
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rush — hurry
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. tube — a container
  24. date — on the calendar

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