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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · craft · chip · can · bore · court · wound · firm

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. craft — boats
  3. chip — to eat
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kid — to tease
  6. can — to be able to
  7. court — of a king
  8. wound — an injury
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. court — for sport
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. firm — decided
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — to drill
  18. firm — steady
  19. court — of law
  20. kid — child
  21. firm — a company
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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