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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: craft · game · spell · staff · chair · can · ball · snap

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spell — a short time
  3. snap — to click
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. craft — boats
  6. spell — magic
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ball — a great time
  10. can — a tin
  11. ball — a dance
  12. craft — a skill
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. spell — letters
  19. game — wild animals
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. can — a tin
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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