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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: cap · pass · hand · craft · scale · staff · wake · chair

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. scale — in music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. staff — employees
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — help
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cap — of ice
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cap — a lid
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cap — a hat

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