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

Word bank: pound · calf · craft · file · chair · stand

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. craft — boats
  4. file — a tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. file — a line of people
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chair — a leader
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pound — a weight

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