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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: squash · stock · sharp · wound · kid · ruler · craft · march

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. squash — to crush
  12. craft — boats
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. craft — a skill
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. march — the month
  22. squash — the sport
  23. march — music
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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