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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stock — shares
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — a grade
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. scale — in music
  18. stock — goods
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pound — a weight
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. scale — size or range
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. scale — for weighing

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