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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: wound · staff · pitch · craft · chest · bound · bowl · chip

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chest — a box
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. craft — boats
  6. bound — certain
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wound — an injury
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chip — for betting
  24. staff — a stick

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