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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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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: craft · chip · stock · bank · saw · wake · kick · fan

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stock — shares
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chip — to eat
  7. craft — a skill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stock — goods
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bank — for money
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. saw — the tool
  20. craft — boats
  21. wake — a trail
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. kick — in football

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