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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: ball · jam · craft · wound · squash · cap · staff · saw

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. craft — a skill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. cap — a hat
  6. squash — the sport
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. staff — employees
  11. wound — an injury
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ball — a great time
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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