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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pound — a weight
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. craft — a skill
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. squash — to crush
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. craft — boats
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — shares
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rash — a series
  24. racket — a loud noise

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