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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. file — a line of people
  6. land — to come down
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a document
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. file — a tool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — shares
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. land — ground
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — a country

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