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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: craft · roll · land · game · deal · stock · bark · charge

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. charge — a price
  3. bark — to shout
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. land — ground
  7. game — a match
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. stock — shares
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. land — to come down
  14. stock — goods
  15. charge — in control
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. deal — to handle
  19. game — wild animals
  20. land — a country
  21. roll — a list
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. charge — electricity

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