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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 116 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: rule · pit · bear · wake · cap · land · ground · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bear — the animal
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rule — a law
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rule — government
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ground — a position
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cap — a lid
  22. land — ground
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cap — a hat

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