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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: lie · stick · bank · chip · snap · pitcher · ball · craft

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. craft — boats
  4. chip — to eat
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. snap — to click
  19. ball — a dance
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — an untruth

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