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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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468
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: stick · craft · bank · perch · chip · drill · hand · can

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. drill — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. chip — to eat
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. hand — in cards
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. hand — help
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. drill — army training
  21. bank — for money
  22. drill — a practice
  23. perch — the fish
  24. craft — boats

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