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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wind — moving air
  5. club — for dancing
  6. craft — boats
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fine — all right
  10. chip — for betting
  11. club — for golf
  12. snap — to click
  13. club — a group
  14. stock — shares
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — goods
  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