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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stock — goods
  4. net — after costs
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. branch — a division
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. stock — shares
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pit — in a race
  19. net — for catching
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. deal — to handle
  23. craft — a skill
  24. net — in sport

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