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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mark — a trace
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mark — a grade
  8. staff — employees
  9. craft — boats
  10. sharp — clever
  11. craft — a skill
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. staff — employees

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