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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · calf · capital · stock · suit · chip · perch · march

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — shares
  6. chip — for betting
  7. suit — clothes
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. capital — money
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — music
  14. suit — in cards
  15. perch — the fish
  16. suit — to fit
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stock — goods
  23. capital — a city
  24. perch — for a bird

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