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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: cap · stick · mouse · craft · spell · chair · bass · mark

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — boats
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — magic
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mark — a trace
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bass — low music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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