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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: cap · craft · chip · drill · stem · pitch · hand · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chip — to eat
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. hand — help
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. craft — a skill
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stem — to come from
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. drill — army training
  21. chip — for betting
  22. craft — boats
  23. cap — of ice
  24. chip — in a computer

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