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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. file — a tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. band — a music group
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. file — a document
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bound — obliged
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. file — a line of people

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