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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 · shower · rock · stock · nail · press · bound · game

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bound — obliged
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. craft — boats
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. craft — a skill
  14. game — a match
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. shower — to wash
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bound — certain
  21. shower — rain
  22. stock — goods
  23. press — to push
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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