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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
468
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: current · pitcher · craft · land · staff · mark · wax · content

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. current — electric
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. content — happy
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — ground
  19. current — of water
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. staff — employees
  23. current — happening now
  24. mark — to pay attention

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