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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: wound · bass · ruler · row · rock · staff · craft · stock

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. staff — a stick
  3. craft — boats
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bass — low music
  8. staff — employees
  9. bass — the fish
  10. staff — employees
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rock — music
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. craft — a skill
  19. row — a line
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — goods

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