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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · chest · craft · bat · cap · game · bowl · hand

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cap — a lid
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. hand — help
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. game — a match
  18. cap — of ice
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bass — low music
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. hand — in cards

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