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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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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: kid · safe · perch · craft · degree · stick · prune · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stock — shares
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. craft — a skill
  9. degree — from a university
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — an amount
  12. kid — child
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. craft — boats
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kid — to tease
  24. prune — to trim

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