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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: craft · staff · board · court · rock · lean · mine · chip

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. court — of a king
  10. rock — music
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. staff — employees
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. craft — a skill
  18. court — of law
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. chip — to eat
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lean — to bend

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