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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: shower · board · chest · pit · chip · suit · craft · wake

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wake — a trail
  7. craft — boats
  8. shower — to wash
  9. suit — clothes
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chest — a box
  14. board — a committee
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chest — of your body
  17. shower — rain
  18. suit — to fit
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wake — before a funeral

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