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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: stock · current · track · saw · fall · craft · row · present

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. current — electric
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. track — a path
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. fall — the season
  9. current — of water
  10. present — a gift
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fall — to drop
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fall — to drop
  15. row — a line
  16. craft — a skill
  17. track — a song
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. row — to paddle
  20. present — there
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — the time now
  23. current — happening now
  24. craft — boats

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