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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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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: board · cap · shower · pass · wax · track · bass · craft

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. shower — rain
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. board — a committee
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cap — a lid
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pass — a permit
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bass — low music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. track — a song

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