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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: craft · date · pitch · temple · fine · lash · content · pit

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. craft — a skill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pit — in a race
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. content — happy
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. craft — boats
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fine — all right
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. date — the fruit

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