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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. dip — to sink
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. track — a song
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stock — goods
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. craft — a skill
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bound — tied together
  18. firm — a company
  19. bound — certain
  20. stock — shares
  21. firm — steady
  22. track — a path
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitch — completely

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