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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: last · bark · cap · deal · chest · craft · ball · suit

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chest — of your body
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cap — a hat
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. craft — boats
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bark — to shout
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cap — a lid

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