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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. craft — a skill
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. race — humankind
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stock — goods
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bark — to shout
  22. race — a contest
  23. craft — boats
  24. rock — to move gently

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