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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. row — a line
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. suit — to fit
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. suit — clothes
  18. deal — to handle
  19. craft — boats
  20. row — to paddle
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stock — goods
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. band — a ring

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