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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stock — shares
  10. last — finally
  11. craft — boats
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. last — to go on
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rock — music
  20. last — final
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pitcher — a jug

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