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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. march — the month
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. craft — boats
  6. firm — a company
  7. chip — for betting
  8. march — music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. firm — steady
  11. stock — goods
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. march — the month
  16. stock — shares
  17. spell — magic
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. spell — a short time
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. firm — decided
  23. row — a line
  24. spell — letters

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