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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — shares
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stock — goods
  13. bass — low music
  14. craft — boats
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bass — the fish
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bowl — a football final

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