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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: calf · rock · scale · toast · staff · craft · cap · chair

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. chair — a leader
  4. scale — in music
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rock — music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. staff — employees
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. craft — a skill
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. toast — bread
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — size or range
  18. craft — boats
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rock — a stone

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