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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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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: drill · mate · craft · bark · present · chip

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. craft — boats
  7. chip — for betting
  8. drill — the tool
  9. present — the time now
  10. mate — a friend
  11. drill — army training
  12. chip — to eat
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bark — to shout
  15. present — a gift
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bark — a dog's sound

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