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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 · last · pound · board · drill · chip · bear · file

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. last — finally
  3. board — to get on
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. file — a tool
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — a committee
  13. drill — army training
  14. last — to go on
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bear — the animal
  17. file — a document
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. drill — a practice
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pound — a weight
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pound — for dogs

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