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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rash — hasty
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. perch — the fish
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stock — goods
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. craft — boats
  13. stock — shares
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. date — the fruit
  17. craft — a skill
  18. perch — for a bird

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