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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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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: tear · craft · stick · fine · key · race · row · stock

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tear — to rip
  4. race — a contest
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stock — shares
  8. row — a line
  9. stock — goods
  10. race — the arms race
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. race — humankind
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. key — in music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. tear — from crying
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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