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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: mate · chair · craft · rest · stand · bass · racket · temple

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chair — a leader
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rest — a break
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mate — a friend
  11. craft — boats
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mate — a partner
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chair — a professorship

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