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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stock — shares
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stock — goods
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. craft — boats
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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