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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: lean · jam · lie · saw · pitch · field · pitcher · craft

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. field — farmland
  5. lean — thin
  6. pitch — completely
  7. saw — the tool
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lean — to bend
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. field — a subject
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lie — an untruth

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