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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 120 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. spring — a coil
  4. ball — a dance
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. band — a music group
  8. craft — a skill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. spring — the season
  11. snap — to click
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spring — of water
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. craft — boats
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — goods
  19. band — a ring
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stand — on your feet

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