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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. craft — boats
  9. rock — a stone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. charge — in control
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. charge — a price
  17. rock — music
  18. drill — a practice

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