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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 120 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 · shower · can · saw · bound · rock · craft · club

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — rain
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bound — certain
  6. club — a group
  7. can — a tin
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. craft — boats
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bound — obliged
  18. club — for dancing
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. club — for golf
  21. bound — tied together
  22. can — to be able to
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rock — music

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