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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rock — a stone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. land — a country
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bank — for money
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. land — to come down
  18. bank — of a river
  19. field — for sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. land — ground
  24. bank — for money

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