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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: kick · snap · pitcher · pit · craft · file · saw · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. craft — boats
  7. snap — to click
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pit — in a race
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pit — a hole
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. can — to be able to
  18. craft — a skill
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. file — a tool
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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