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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stock — goods
  4. degree — temperature
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stock — shares
  14. craft — boats
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. lean — thin
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bark — of a tree

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