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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: craft · current · game · chest · cabinet · dip · bass · coach

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bass — the fish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — a match
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. craft — boats
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — happening now
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. chest — of your body
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chest — of your body
  16. current — of water
  17. chest — a box
  18. current — electric
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. dip — to sink

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