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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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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 · last · racket · rule · firm · net · staff · arm

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. net — for catching
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. firm — steady
  5. last — final
  6. staff — a stick
  7. net — in sport
  8. last — to go on
  9. rule — a law
  10. net — after costs
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. last — finally
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. firm — a company
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. craft — a skill
  24. firm — decided

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