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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: chair · cap · dip · wake · craft · pass · prune · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pass — a permit
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cap — of ice
  8. game — a match
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. prune — to trim
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. craft — boats

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