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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 116 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: root · bowl · craft · chip · file · cap · wound · calf

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chip — for betting
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chip — to eat
  10. root — the cause
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. root — of a plant
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cap — a hat
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. craft — a skill

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