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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: club · chip · craft · cabinet · nail · plane · pound · arm

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. club — a group
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pound — a weight
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. craft — a skill
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — boats
  16. chip — for betting
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chip — to eat
  24. plane — a tool

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