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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rush — hurry
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. ball — a dance
  18. roll — a cake
  19. craft — a skill
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. shower — to wash
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. craft — boats

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