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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stock — shares
  4. mug — to rob
  5. object — to protest
  6. stock — goods
  7. mug — a cup
  8. charge — electricity
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — crushed
  12. charge — a price
  13. wake — a trail
  14. object — an aim
  15. charge — in control
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. object — a thing
  18. ground — the earth
  19. craft — boats
  20. ground — a position
  21. row — a line
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mug — a face
  24. row — to paddle

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