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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: saw · craft · fine · chip · race · wake · club · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. craft — boats
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. chip — to eat
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fine — all right
  11. club — for golf
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — high quality
  15. march — the month
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chip — for betting
  18. race — humankind
  19. saw — the tool
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. march — the month
  23. race — a contest
  24. wake — before a funeral

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