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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stock — shares
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mark — a grade
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. craft — boats
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. court — of a king
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — for sport
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. court — of law
  24. mark — a trace

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