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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 · stock · wave · deal · content · suit · race · drill

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. suit — clothes
  4. craft — a skill
  5. race — a contest
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stock — shares
  8. content — happy
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. deal — to handle
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. race — humankind
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. drill — a practice
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. content — the amount
  19. stock — goods
  20. craft — boats
  21. drill — army training
  22. suit — to fit
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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