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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. craft — a skill
  3. suit — clothes
  4. content — happy
  5. tear — from crying
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stock — shares
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. tear — from crying
  17. deal — to handle
  18. craft — boats
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. content — the amount
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chip — in a computer

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