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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. staff — a stick
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. staff — employees
  6. snap — to click
  7. mug — to rob
  8. key — the most important part
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — in music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. net — for catching
  16. staff — employees
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. key — for a lock
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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