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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stock — goods
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. staff — employees
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. staff — employees
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. craft — boats
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chest — of your body
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stock — shares
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. staff — a stick

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