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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. land — to come down
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cap — a lid
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stock — goods
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — a skill
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hide — to keep secret

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