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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 116 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: hide · deal · object · craft · degree · land · stock · staff

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. land — to come down
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. land — a country
  6. object — an aim
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stock — shares
  11. object — a thing
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — ground
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. staff — a stick
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. degree — temperature
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. object — to protest

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