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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stock — goods
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. craft — boats
  11. bass — low music
  12. stock — shares
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rock — a stone
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the fish
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — hurry

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