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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mark — a grade
  10. craft — boats
  11. bass — low music
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bass — the fish
  18. season — in sport
  19. rash — a series
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stock — shares
  22. season — of the year
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rash — hasty

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