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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 120 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
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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: current · stock · calf · court · march · cell · scale · craft

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. march — music
  7. craft — boats
  8. scale — size or range
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — of water
  12. cell — in biology
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. court — of a king
  17. craft — a skill
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stock — goods
  20. march — the month
  21. court — of law
  22. scale — in music
  23. court — for sport
  24. craft — a handicraft

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