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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 116 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: craft · fan · game · bank · scale · trunk · rash · can

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rash — a series
  4. can — a tin
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bank — for money
  10. game — wild animals
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. scale — size or range
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bank — of a river
  19. craft — a skill
  20. game — a match
  21. scale — in music
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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