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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · craft · chip · fine · rash · ball · mine · pitcher

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fine — all right
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mine — for digging
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ball — a dance
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. craft — boats
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rash — a series
  24. mine — an explosive

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