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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. craft — boats
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. deal — to handle
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stock — shares
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — goods
  12. root — of a plant
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. root — the cause
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. craft — a skill
  21. can — to be able to
  22. root — of a word
  23. mark — a grade
  24. craft — a handicraft

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