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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: craft · fan · pound · content · chip · capital · cabinet · dip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. capital — money
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. content — happy
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — a city
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pound — a weight
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. content — the amount
  24. craft — a handicraft

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