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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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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: deal · bat · lean · craft · charge · bound · snap · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bound — tied together
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lean — thin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. charge — a price
  11. snap — to click
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bound — certain
  22. craft — boats
  23. lean — to bend
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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