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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: band · bay · craft · net · stick · stock · bulb · wave

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. band — a music group
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stock — goods
  9. net — in sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. band — a ring
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stock — shares
  14. net — after costs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — for catching
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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