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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: hide · hand · jam · rash · craft · chair · roll · ball

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ball — a great time
  14. craft — boats
  15. hand — help
  16. roll — a cake
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. roll — a list
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — hasty
  24. chair — to sit on

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