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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. craft — boats
  4. branch — a division
  5. rash — hasty
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mug — a face
  8. stock — goods
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rash — a series
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mug — a cup
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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