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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. foot — a measure
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. content — the amount
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stock — shares
  9. content — happy
  10. craft — boats
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chip — for betting
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stock — goods
  22. shower — rain
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — to handle

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