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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rock — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. bass — low music
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. row — a line
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. net — for catching
  24. bark — to shout

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