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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. key — in music
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. board — to get on
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — goods
  10. board — a committee
  11. key — for a lock
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. craft — a skill
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. band — a music group
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stock — shares
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. band — a ring

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