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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 · degree · land · mug · hand · net · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. net — for catching
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. net — in sport
  9. degree — temperature
  10. hand — in cards
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stock — goods
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. craft — boats
  16. land — ground
  17. mug — a face
  18. craft — a skill
  19. degree — an amount
  20. net — after costs
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — shares
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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