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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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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: board · pitch · craft · wound · pound · lash · toast · calf

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. craft — boats
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. toast — bread
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. craft — a skill
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. board — to get on
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. board — a committee
  24. pitch — completely

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