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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: suit · pitch · craft · bass · perch · stick · mate · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. suit — clothes
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bass — low music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. row — a line
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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