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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stock — goods
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. root — the cause
  8. stock — shares
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. root — of a word
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bass — low music
  14. craft — boats
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fork — in a road

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