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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: craft · staff · pop · wind · chip · prune · calf · bowl

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — to eat
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. staff — employees
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. craft — boats
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. craft — a skill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. wind — to turn a key

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