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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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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: craft · nail · firm · fine · wind · land · pitcher · wake

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fine — all right
  4. land — ground
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — a company
  9. craft — a skill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. firm — decided
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. firm — steady
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. craft — boats
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wind — to turn a key

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