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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.

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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 · kick · ball · chair · stand · rest · fork · game

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. craft — boats
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. craft — a skill
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stand — on your feet

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