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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: suit · saw · stock · bound · prune · sharp · craft · mate

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stock — goods
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stock — shares
  9. bound — tied together
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mate — to breed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. suit — in cards

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