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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 120 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: stem · swing · craft · pitch · lean · ball · chair · cap

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. swing — music
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lean — to bend
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lean — thin
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chair — to sit on

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