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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. craft — boats
  6. bank — for money
  7. tear — from crying
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stock — goods
  12. bank — for money
  13. tear — to rip
  14. fork — in a road
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tear — from crying
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. craft — a skill
  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