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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: chip · perch · craft · net · bound · nail · mine · branch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. bound — certain
  2. chip — for betting
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. net — in sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — for catching
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bound — obliged
  15. net — after costs
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. perch — the fish
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. bound — tied together
  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