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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: craft · dip · wound · stock · last · bark · pit · deal

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. dip — to sink
  3. craft — boats
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stock — shares
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bark — to shout
  9. deal — to handle
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. last — to go on
  13. stock — goods
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pit — a hole
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. last — finally
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. last — final
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pit — in a race

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