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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 120 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
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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: game · chair · bay · staff · craft · file · spell · firm

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. file — a tool
  3. firm — a company
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. firm — steady
  7. staff — a stick
  8. file — a line of people
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spell — magic
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chair — a leader
  16. firm — decided
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. spell — a short time
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. spell — letters
  23. file — a document
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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