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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 116 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: craft · last · bore · rock · field · coach · stick · pitcher

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. last — final
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. last — finally
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rock — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — for sport
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. field — a subject
  20. craft — boats
  21. field — farmland
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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