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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: hand · key · chip · nail · craft · shower · jam · band

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. key — for a lock
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chip — for betting
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. key — in music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. band — a music group
  11. key — the most important part
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — boats
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — rain
  21. band — a ring
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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