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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: stand · chest · craft · fine · calf · pitcher · scale · lean

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fine — all right
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. craft — boats
  11. scale — in music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — thin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stand — to bear
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lean — to bend
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chest — of your body

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