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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stock — shares
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. date — the fruit
  14. net — in sport
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. net — after costs
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. craft — boats
  20. race — a contest
  21. stock — goods
  22. race — humankind
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. nail — for a hammer

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