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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: wax · bass · staff · fan · cap · rock · craft · chip

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rock — a stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bass — low music
  11. craft — boats
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rock — music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — to move gently

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