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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: craft · chair · foot · net · stand · ruler

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chair — a leader
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stand — to bear
  6. craft — boats
  7. net — after costs
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. craft — a skill
  10. net — in sport
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. foot — a measure
  16. net — for catching
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. chair — to sit on

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