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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.

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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 · chair · racket · stem · craft · firm · club · march

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. firm — steady
  2. bore — to tire
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. march — the month
  6. craft — boats
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. firm — a company
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. march — the month
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. club — for dancing
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. march — music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. club — a group
  20. firm — decided
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. club — for golf
  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