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

Word bank: craft · cap · snap · ruler · pit · stand

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pit — a hole
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cap — of ice
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cap — a lid
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pit — in a race
  16. craft — boats
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stand — to bear

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