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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
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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: saw · fan · march · stock · craft · game · spell · drill

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stock — shares
  3. march — the month
  4. game — a match
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. march — the month
  11. game — wild animals
  12. drill — a practice
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stock — goods
  16. drill — army training
  17. march — music
  18. spell — letters
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — the tool
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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