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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · craft · sharp · straw · cue · file · bay · pitch

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cue — for pool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cue — a hint
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spell — magic
  15. craft — boats
  16. file — a tool
  17. spell — letters
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pitch — completely

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