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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. craft — boats
  6. last — to go on
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. last — final
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pop — soda
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. last — finally
  16. present — there
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. present — a gift
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. present — the time now
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pop — music

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