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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 124 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mouse — the animal

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