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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.

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: can · mouse · hide · fine · craft · net · stock · present

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. net — after costs
  4. craft — boats
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. present — a gift
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — in sport
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stock — goods
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — for catching
  19. present — the time now
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stock — shares
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. can — a tin
  24. present — there

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