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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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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: craft · deal · jam · safe · bass · bat · stock · scale

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stock — goods
  6. bass — the fish
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. craft — a skill
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bat — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — shares
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. safe — a strongbox

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