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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: wake · chest · scale · pass · band · stock · nail · craft

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stock — goods
  5. pass — a permit
  6. craft — boats
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chest — a box
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a music group
  21. stock — shares
  22. craft — a skill
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stock — a soup base

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