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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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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: rest · craft · deal · mine · jam · chest · pitch · stick

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. craft — boats
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. craft — a skill
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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