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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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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: perch · craft · object · pit · stock · chip · row · cell

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chip — for betting
  7. object — a thing
  8. cell — in biology
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pit — in a race
  12. row — to paddle
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stock — goods
  16. cell — a phone
  17. object — to protest
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. object — an aim
  21. perch — the fish
  22. row — a line
  23. chip — to eat
  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