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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
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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: chest · pitcher · craft · pass · club · wound · object · cabinet

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. club — for golf
  4. pass — a permit
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chest — a box
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. club — for dancing
  13. object — a thing
  14. club — a group
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. craft — boats
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — to protest
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. object — an aim
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chest — of your body

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