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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 120 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: deal · bat · squash · craft · rash · spell · pitch · track

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. track — to keep track
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spell — letters
  5. track — a path
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rash — a series
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitch — completely
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. track — a song
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. deal — an agreement
  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