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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: craft · bay · ground · file · tube · race · chip · saw

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. craft — boats
  3. file — a tool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. saw — the tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. race — a contest
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chip — to eat
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ground — crushed
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ground — a position
  21. race — humankind
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ground — the earth

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