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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. current — electric
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bat — the animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stock — shares
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. shower — rain
  14. current — of water
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — of the year
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. current — happening now
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. face — to point toward
  22. craft — boats
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. shower — to wash

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