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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: arm · craft · wound · ball · rush · pitch · pit · bat

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pit — in a race
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ball — a great time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitch — completely
  22. craft — boats
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ball — a dance

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