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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: lash · pitch · bark · craft · fork · lean · court · saw

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. court — of a king
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. court — for sport
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. saw — the tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fork — to eat with

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