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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: sharp · march · bay · stem · coach · craft · roll · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. sharp — clever
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. march — music
  13. craft — boats
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — shares
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stem — to come from
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stem — a stem cell

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