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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: bowl · trunk · arm · pitcher · land · stock · craft · fall

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stock — shares
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. land — a country
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fall — the season
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. craft — boats
  17. stock — goods
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. land — to come down
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. land — ground
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — a football final

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