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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: fork · cap · rash · rest · wave · craft · tear · pitch

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rest — a break
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. craft — boats
  7. pitch — completely
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pitch — a sports field

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