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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: stock · march · band · bay · row · lean · rock · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. band — a ring
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lean — thin
  7. band — a music group
  8. row — a line
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. march — the month
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rock — music
  15. stock — goods
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stock — shares
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. row — to paddle
  23. march — music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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