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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 116 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: craft · safe · march · stock · calf · object · row · last

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. row — to paddle
  5. object — to protest
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — final
  9. march — music
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. row — a line
  13. craft — a skill
  14. object — an aim
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — shares
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. last — to go on
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. last — finally
  24. craft — boats

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