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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. land — a country
  3. sharp — clever
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — the cause
  7. stock — goods
  8. bear — the animal
  9. land — to come down
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. root — of a word
  16. dip — to sink
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. land — ground
  20. bear — the animal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. craft — boats
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stock — shares

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