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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. band — a music group
  5. row — to paddle
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. craft — boats
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. craft — a skill
  12. band — a ring
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mug — to rob
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pop — soda
  18. mug — a face
  19. pop — music
  20. row — a line
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mug — a cup
  23. hide — animal skin
  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