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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · pass · capital · craft · dip · chip · season · clip

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. clip — for paper
  3. dip — to sink
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chip — to eat
  7. season — of the year
  8. craft — boats
  9. capital — money
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. clip — to cut
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. capital — a city
  16. season — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. craft — a skill
  19. clip — a video
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. season — to add flavour

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