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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: straw · ball · stock · trunk · sharp · content · temple · craft

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. craft — a skill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stock — shares
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ball — a great time
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. content — happy
  15. craft — boats
  16. content — the amount
  17. stock — goods
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ball — a dance
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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