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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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · last · racket · rock · pit · current · swing · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. current — happening now
  4. craft — a skill
  5. last — to go on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rock — a stone
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. rock — music
  13. current — of water
  14. craft — boats
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pit — in a race
  21. swing — music
  22. current — electric
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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