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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 116 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: cap · board · rash · club · craft · patient · wake · dip

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. club — a group
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — a skill
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cap — a lid
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — to get on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. board — a committee
  16. rash — a series
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wake — a trail
  19. club — for golf
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — hasty
  24. dip — to sink

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