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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: firm · tube · track · craft · chair · chest · mug · spring

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. track — to keep track
  4. firm — a company
  5. chest — a box
  6. spring — the season
  7. track — a song
  8. firm — steady
  9. track — a path
  10. mug — a face
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chest — of your body
  13. tube — a container
  14. firm — decided
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tube — the underground
  17. spring — a coil
  18. chair — a leader
  19. spring — of water
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. craft — boats
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — to rob

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