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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stock — goods
  4. mug — a cup
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. shower — rain
  8. mug — a face
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mug — to rob
  12. craft — boats
  13. land — to come down
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. land — ground
  20. rash — a series
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stock — shares
  23. lean — thin
  24. craft — a skill

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