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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 · bay · staff · degree · chair · arm · fine · band

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. craft — a skill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. degree — temperature
  5. staff — employees
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. staff — employees
  12. band — a ring
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. chair — a leader
  15. degree — from a university
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. band — a music group
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. craft — boats
  23. degree — an amount
  24. staff — a stick

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