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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stock — shares
  3. craft — boats
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. craft — a skill
  6. track — a path
  7. saw — the tool
  8. game — a match
  9. roll — a cake
  10. track — to keep track
  11. deal — to handle
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. game — wild animals
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. track — a song
  20. roll — a list
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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