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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · kid · pitcher · chip · rock · stock · nail · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. chip — to eat
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. stock — shares
  7. kid — child
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. chip — for betting
  21. kid — to tease
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stock — goods
  24. chip — in a computer

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