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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stock — shares
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kid — child
  11. stock — goods
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rock — music
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rock — a stone
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ruler — for measuring

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