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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: stock · craft · current · vault · kick · wax · march · stick

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stock — shares
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. kick — in football
  6. stock — goods
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. current — of water
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. march — the month
  14. wax — to grow
  15. march — the month
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. march — music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. current — electric
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. current — happening now
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kick — with a leg

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