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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 · game · coach · can · pit · bark · cold · pass

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pit — a hole
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bark — to shout
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. game — a match
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pit — in a race
  22. craft — boats
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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