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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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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: chair · bear · cap · kick · craft · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. kick — in football
  11. ground — the earth
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ground — crushed
  18. craft — boats

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