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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: rush · stock · lie · craft · court · drill · date · can

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — goods
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — a tin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. date — the fruit
  16. court — for sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. court — of law
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. court — of a king

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