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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.

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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: dip · ball · craft · net · chair · tube · pass · can

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. can — a tin
  3. ball — a dance
  4. net — after costs
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chair — a leader
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. can — a tin
  13. craft — a skill
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pass — a permit
  16. net — for catching
  17. craft — boats
  18. tube — a container
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. net — in sport
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. can — to be able to
  24. craft — a handicraft

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