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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. last — finally
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chair — a leader
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. last — final
  19. prune — to trim
  20. last — to go on
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. prune — the fruit

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