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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. foot — a measure
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. lean — thin
  9. squash — the sport
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. toast — bread
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stock — shares
  16. craft — boats
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. squash — to crush

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