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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. staff — employees
  5. chair — a leader
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pound — a weight
  9. foot — a measure
  10. court — of a king
  11. craft — a skill
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — boats
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. staff — employees
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. staff — a stick
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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