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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 116 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: craft · pitcher · chip · tube · bore · firm · wake · cabinet

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chip — for betting
  4. firm — decided
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. firm — steady
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — a company
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. craft — boats

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