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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. kid — to tease
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — of water
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mug — a face
  10. prune — to trim
  11. staff — a stick
  12. kid — child
  13. mug — a cup
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — goods
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mug — to rob
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — happening now
  20. craft — boats
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. staff — employees
  23. craft — a skill
  24. current — electric

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