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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stock — shares
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. last — finally
  10. craft — a skill
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. last — final
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. last — to go on
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stock — goods

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