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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: season · craft · swing · jam · pound · pitch · bark · stick

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. swing — to play on
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. craft — boats
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. season — in sport
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — a weight
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. swing — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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