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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stock — goods
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cap — of ice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. sharp — clever
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bore — to drill
  20. craft — boats
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wave — with your hand

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