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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · craft · land · calf · perch · bank · sharp · pitch

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — boats
  7. bank — for money
  8. sharp — clever
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — a country
  11. bat — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — ground
  14. bank — of a river
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. perch — the fish
  19. land — to come down
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bank — for money
  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