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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · straw · hide · deal · stock · mine · key

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. craft — boats
  3. stock — goods
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bark — to shout
  21. deal — to handle
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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