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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: ball · tube · deal · craft · spell · stock · scale · rest

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stock — goods
  3. rest — what's left
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. spell — a short time
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. spell — letters
  9. tube — the underground
  10. craft — a skill
  11. scale — in music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rest — a break
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. craft — boats
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ball — a dance
  19. tube — a container
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. spell — magic
  22. scale — size or range
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stock — shares

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