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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: chair · bore · calf · craft · firm · foot · net · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. net — in sport
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. craft — a skill
  5. firm — steady
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bore — to tire
  9. file — a document
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bore — to drill
  16. firm — decided
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a tool
  22. foot — a measure
  23. firm — a company
  24. craft — boats

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