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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · spring · cap · craft · bank · pass · pitcher · bore

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — a permit
  8. cap — of ice
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spring — a coil
  19. craft — boats
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bank — for money
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitcher — a jug

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