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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · craft · root · vault · wind · deal

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wind — moving air
  9. root — the cause
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — goods
  16. craft — boats
  17. vault — a safe
  18. root — of a word

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