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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: staff · craft · wave · stick · pound · stock

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stock — shares
  4. craft — a skill
  5. staff — a stick
  6. craft — boats
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stock — goods
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. staff — employees
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — a weight

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