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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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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: stock · kid · craft · toast · pound · game · fall · dip

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stock — shares
  5. kid — child
  6. game — a match
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stock — goods
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — boats
  15. game — wild animals
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fall — the season
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. toast — bread

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