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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: wave · toast · shower · staff · content · bass · stock · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. content — happy
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. craft — boats
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. staff — a stick
  18. toast — bread
  19. staff — employees
  20. content — the amount
  21. stock — shares
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — goods
  24. toast — the most admired

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