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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bore — to drill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. craft — a skill
  8. last — finally
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rash — a series
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stock — goods
  21. bass — low music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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