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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: pound · craft · squash · stock · calf · date · bass · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stock — goods
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. craft — boats
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. bass — the fish
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bass — low music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. date — the fruit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. craft — a skill

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