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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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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: arm · bear · chair · straw · craft · roll · racket · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bear — the animal
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cap — a hat
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. arm — part of the body

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