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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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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: board · wind · bank · sharp · chip · patient · pound · craft

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. craft — boats
  6. wind — moving air
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. sharp — clever
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wind — moving air
  11. board — a committee
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chip — to eat

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