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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: leaves · pitcher · cap · bay · mine · tube · craft · chair

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — a container
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chair — a leader
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. craft — a skill
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cap — a lid
  23. craft — boats
  24. chair — to sit on

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