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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 · saw · board · craft · rock · bat · mark · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. craft — boats
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rock — music
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mark — a trace
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. date — the fruit
  24. board — a committee

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