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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · fan · wind · stick · bass · land · racket · craft

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. land — a country
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — low music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. land — ground
  15. craft — boats
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. land — to come down
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wind — moving air
  24. craft — a skill

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