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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — to paddle
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. spell — a short time
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. craft — boats
  16. stock — goods
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stock — shares
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. spell — letters

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