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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: wake · file · march · stock · craft · cell · cue · calf

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cue — for pool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. march — the month
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. file — a line of people
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. march — music
  18. stock — goods
  19. cell — in biology
  20. file — a document
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. march — the month

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