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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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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: wind · chip · stock · bark · craft · shower · suit · foot

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chip — to eat
  4. shower — rain
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stock — shares
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. shower — to wash
  12. suit — to fit
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — moving air
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wind — moving air
  17. craft — boats
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stock — goods
  21. bark — to shout
  22. suit — in cards
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. craft — a skill

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