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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 · stock · ball · rush · deal · content · stem · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stock — goods
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hand — help
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stock — shares
  10. ball — a great time
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ball — a dance
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. craft — boats
  19. content — happy
  20. deal — to handle
  21. content — the amount
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. deal — an agreement

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