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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: bore · cold · pitch · bound · cue · bear · craft · rush

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cold — not warm
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cold — an illness
  12. craft — boats
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bound — certain
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. rush — hurry

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