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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: chip · perch · hand · craft · capital · fan · kick · bay

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. perch — the fish
  16. kick — in football
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. craft — boats
  21. capital — money
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. capital — a city

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