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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 116 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 · bark · bore · cabinet · staff · craft · pit · court

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. court — of law
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bore — to tire
  10. staff — employees
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. court — of a king
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. court — for sport
  20. chair — a leader
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bark — to shout
  24. staff — employees

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