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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: staff · craft · bore · saw · chip · dip · rash · ball

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a dance
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. craft — a skill
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. chip — for betting
  12. staff — employees
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. craft — boats
  16. rash — hasty
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rash — a series
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. dip — a sauce

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