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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. drill — army training
  5. stock — goods
  6. firm — decided
  7. bank — of a river
  8. firm — steady
  9. drill — the tool
  10. firm — a company
  11. fall — to drop
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — for money
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stock — shares
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fall — the season
  23. tube — a container
  24. pitcher — a jug

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