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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: ground · chest · craft · calf · pitcher · hand · bank · pop

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. craft — boats
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chest — of your body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ground — crushed
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. pop — music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chest — of your body

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