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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stock — shares
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — goods
  8. craft — a skill
  9. net — for catching
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. net — after costs
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. deal — to handle
  15. object — a thing
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rule — government
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rule — a law
  23. net — in sport
  24. rule — to rule out

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