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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. craft — boats
  11. game — a match
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. pound — a weight
  17. craft — a skill
  18. game — wild animals
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stock — shares
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stock — goods

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