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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: staff · pound · ruler · craft · spell · chair · trunk · chip

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. 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. spell — magic
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chip — to eat
  10. craft — boats
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spell — letters
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spell — a short time
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. staff — employees
  24. 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