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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: mark · craft · fine · spring · hand · chair · bear · ground

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chair — a leader
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bear — the animal
  8. craft — boats
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. spring — of water
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spring — a coil
  16. hand — help
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. spring — the season
  24. fine — all right

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