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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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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: saw · bay · cap · last · staff · bank · court · craft

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. staff — employees
  5. bank — of a river
  6. court — of a king
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — for sport
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. court — of law
  14. craft — a skill
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bank — for money
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. staff — employees
  20. last — final
  21. craft — boats
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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