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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 120 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: rash · craft · file · bass · chip · bear · mouse · row

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chip — for betting
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chip — to eat
  9. row — a line
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. file — a tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bass — low music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bass — the fish
  22. file — a document
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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