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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ground — a position
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. club — for golf
  9. stock — goods
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ground — crushed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mark — a trace
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. shower — rain
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mark — a grade
  20. craft — boats
  21. ground — the earth
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stock — shares

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