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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 · kick · ball · chair · stand · rest

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kick — in football
  7. rest — a break
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — boats
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chair — a leader

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