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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 · rash · race · pitch · game · spell · staff · craft

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rash — a series
  4. spell — a short time
  5. race — humankind
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rash — hasty
  8. race — a contest
  9. date — the fruit
  10. staff — employees
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. spell — magic
  13. craft — a skill
  14. staff — employees
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. race — the arms race
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. game — a match
  23. spell — letters
  24. craft — boats

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