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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. last — final
  6. object — a thing
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stock — goods
  9. toast — bread
  10. last — finally
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. net — in sport
  13. cap — a hat
  14. object — an aim
  15. last — to go on
  16. net — after costs
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stock — shares
  19. net — for catching
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. object — to protest
  24. stock — a soup base

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