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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: last · file · sharp · bank · craft · row · field · pitcher

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. row — a line
  4. sharp — clever
  5. craft — a skill
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bank — for money
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. file — a line of people
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bank — of a river
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. field — a subject
  16. last — final
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. last — finally
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bank — for money
  24. file — a tool

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