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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: pitcher · scale · bound · face · chip · bark · craft · calf

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. scale — size or range
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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