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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: chip · pop · mark · craft · staff · deal · shower · wound

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mark — a grade
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wound — an injury
  9. shower — to wash
  10. chip — for betting
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pop — to visit
  14. staff — employees
  15. shower — rain
  16. pop — soda
  17. deal — to handle
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pop — music
  21. craft — boats
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wound — an injury
  24. deal — a big deal

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