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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · bore · craft · cap · temple · chair · stick · mug

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cap — a lid
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — of ice
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — a position
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mug — a face
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mug — to rob
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cap — a hat
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mug — a cup

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