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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. land — a country
  6. stock — goods
  7. fall — to drop
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. craft — a skill
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. land — to come down
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. scale — size or range
  16. key — for a lock
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. land — ground
  19. key — in music
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. scale — in music
  24. deal — to handle

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