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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 · bulb · rash · kick · craft · pitcher · staff · chip

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chip — for betting
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. kick — in football
  12. hand — in cards
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rash — a series
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. staff — a stick
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. craft — boats
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — a handicraft

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