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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. tube — the underground
  3. band — a ring
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. craft — a skill
  12. band — a music group
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stock — goods
  17. snap — to click
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. branch — a division
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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