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

Word bank: craft · face · deal · chest · chip · club

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. face — to confront
  5. craft — boats
  6. chest — of your body
  7. club — for dancing
  8. face — part of the head
  9. club — for golf
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. chip — to eat
  12. face — to point toward
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. club — a group
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chest — a box

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