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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 120 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 · wake · fork · cap · bass · can · game · pass

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cap — a lid
  3. game — a match
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bass — low music
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wake — a trail
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. craft — a skill
  17. can — a tin
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. craft — boats
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fork — in a road
  24. can — to be able to

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