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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: rest · bear · present · pitch · hand · ground · dip · craft

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — a position
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. craft — boats
  9. pitch — completely
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. present — there
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. craft — a skill

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