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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — magic
  5. stock — shares
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stock — goods
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — a permit
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. craft — a skill
  21. spell — letters
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spell — a short time
  24. craft — boats

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