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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: game · deal · tear · rule · craft · dip · stock · can

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. can — to be able to
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tear — from crying
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. can — a tin
  9. rule — a law
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rule — government
  14. game — a match
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stock — shares
  17. tear — to rip
  18. can — a tin
  19. craft — boats
  20. deal — to handle
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stock — goods
  24. dip — to sink

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