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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: key · last · mark · band · stock · craft · fan · staff

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. last — finally
  5. mark — a trace
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mark — a grade
  8. key — in music
  9. last — final
  10. stock — shares
  11. craft — boats
  12. band — a music group
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — the most important part
  15. staff — a stick
  16. craft — a skill
  17. last — to go on
  18. band — a ring
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. fan — a supporter

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