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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 120 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: mine · chip · rule · craft · net · shower · fall · pit

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. craft — a skill
  4. shower — rain
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fall — the season
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. net — after costs
  12. rule — government
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fall — to drop
  15. net — for catching
  16. fall — to drop
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rule — a law
  21. pit — in a race
  22. craft — boats
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. net — in sport

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