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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 · suit · spring · pitch · content · mug · band · cap

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spring — a coil
  5. band — a music group
  6. content — the amount
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cap — a hat
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mug — a face
  11. craft — boats
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. suit — in cards
  15. content — happy
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cap — of ice
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. band — a rubber band

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