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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: wound · jam · tube · craft · chip · kid · bank · mouse

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kid — child
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. craft — a skill
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. tube — a container
  19. chip — to eat
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — the underground
  23. craft — boats
  24. wound — an injury

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