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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: row · fine · content · plane · tear · pitch · last · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tear — from crying
  8. row — a line
  9. last — final
  10. fine — high quality
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. content — happy
  13. last — to go on
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitch — completely
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. tear — to rip
  24. last — finally

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