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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: bear · bat · stock · bore · calf · craft · rash · march

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. craft — boats
  7. bear — the animal
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stock — goods
  13. march — the month
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. march — music
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rash — a series
  22. march — the month
  23. stock — shares
  24. calf — of the leg

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