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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: deal · nail · rock · chip · content · craft · band · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. craft — boats
  3. stock — goods
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rock — music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stock — shares
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. content — happy
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. content — the amount
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. band — a ring
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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