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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 · stock · mug · tube · hide · squash · perch · pass

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tube — the underground
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tube — a container
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mug — a face
  9. squash — to crush
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stock — shares
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. squash — the sport
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. craft — boats
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mug — to rob
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mug — a cup
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. perch — the fish

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