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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: spell · march · craft · rush · straw · pitch · jam · calf

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. spell — a short time
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. spell — magic
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. craft — boats
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rush — hurry
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. march — music
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — letters
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pitch — completely
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. march — the month

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