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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 · cabinet · bowl · cap · bark · stock · land · tube

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — ground
  5. stock — shares
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. land — a country
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tube — a container
  18. land — to come down
  19. sharp — clever
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — goods

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