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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: stem · pitch · craft · arm · fine · bound · wind · rock

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wind — moving air
  6. craft — boats
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rock — music
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bound — obliged
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. arm — part of the body

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