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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · wound · date · chair · mark · perch · saw · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mark — a grade
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. perch — the fish
  13. date — the fruit
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chair — a professorship

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