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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: craft · leaves · stock · pitcher · chest · bowl · tear · cap

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cap — a lid
  8. craft — boats
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chest — a box
  11. stock — shares
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. chest — of your body
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stock — goods

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