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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: ground · stock · craft · rash · rush · bank · saw · pitcher

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. saw — the tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bank — of a river
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — shares
  17. craft — boats
  18. stock — goods
  19. rash — a series
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bank — for money
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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