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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: season · bat · pass · hand · board · chip · craft · trunk

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. season — in sport
  8. bat — the animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. board — a committee
  13. craft — boats
  14. hand — help
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — of the year
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. craft — a handicraft

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