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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mark — a grade
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hand — in cards
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. craft — boats
  8. firm — decided
  9. deal — to handle
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stock — goods
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. firm — steady
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. hand — help
  20. stock — shares
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. firm — a company

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