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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. season — of the year
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. sharp — clever
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. season — in sport
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. squash — to crush
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stock — shares

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