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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: track · chip · firm · wound · nail · court · sharp · craft

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. track — a path
  5. firm — steady
  6. craft — a skill
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. firm — a company
  14. court — of law
  15. craft — boats
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. court — for sport
  19. chip — to eat
  20. firm — decided
  21. chip — for betting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. court — of a king

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