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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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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: scale · craft · chip · bay · fork · deal · race · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. craft — boats
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chip — to eat
  9. craft — a skill
  10. scale — in music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. race — a contest
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chip — for betting
  16. race — humankind
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fork — in a road
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. scale — for weighing

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