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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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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. game — a match
  5. craft — a skill
  6. staff — employees
  7. bank — for money
  8. staff — employees
  9. deal — to handle
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bank — for money
  12. object — a thing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. object — to protest
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. object — an aim
  21. craft — boats
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — a leader
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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