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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: fan · saw · stock · craft · kid · fork · firm · march

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — shares
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fork — in a road
  6. craft — boats
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. kid — child
  10. firm — decided
  11. march — the month
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stock — goods
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. march — music
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. firm — a company
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. firm — steady
  24. march — the month

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