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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 116 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
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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: hand · pitcher · board · wind · fork · craft · can · pass

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. can — a tin
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. hand — in cards
  14. board — a committee
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. board — to get on
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. can — a tin
  24. board — a flat piece

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