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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: bark · clip · squash · pitch · key · mug · craft · suit

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mug — to rob
  3. suit — to fit
  4. clip — for paper
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. clip — a video
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. suit — in cards
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mug — a face
  12. craft — boats
  13. key — for a lock
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — in music
  18. mug — a cup
  19. craft — a skill
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — to shout
  24. suit — clothes

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