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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pound — a weight
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. firm — steady
  9. craft — boats
  10. stock — goods
  11. roll — a cake
  12. degree — temperature
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stock — shares
  15. firm — decided
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. degree — from a university
  22. roll — a list
  23. snap — to click
  24. firm — a company

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