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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: saw · craft · root · mate · stock · content · ball · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spell — magic
  4. content — happy
  5. stock — goods
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ball — a great time
  11. content — the amount
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ball — a dance
  16. root — of a word
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stock — shares

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