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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: bass · field · chip · trunk · hide · bay · perch · craft

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — for betting
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. craft — boats
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bass — low music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. field — farmland
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. field — for sport
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. field — a subject
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hide — to keep secret

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