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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.

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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.

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: bore · craft · net · ball · stem · chair · wake · land

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. land — a country
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. craft — a skill
  10. net — for catching
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. craft — boats
  15. wake — a trail
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. land — ground
  19. net — after costs
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. net — in sport
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. land — to come down
  24. chair — a leader

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