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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: rash · bay · craft · row · stock · ball · sharp · fall

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ball — a dance
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stock — shares
  7. row — a line
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fall — to drop
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stock — goods
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. craft — boats
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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