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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 · ground · pitcher · craft · wound · pass · rule · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. ground — a position
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pass — to spend time

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