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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: scale · stock · foot · current · stick · craft · game · club

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — a match
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. current — electric
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. scale — in music
  8. club — for golf
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. current — happening now
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. craft — a skill
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. club — a group
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. current — of water
  24. club — for dancing

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