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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: stock · toast · club · last · date · spring · cabinet · craft

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. spring — the season
  3. stock — shares
  4. toast — bread
  5. craft — a skill
  6. last — to go on
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. date — the fruit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — final
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. last — finally
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. spring — of water
  16. club — a group
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. club — for golf
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. craft — boats
  23. stock — goods
  24. date — on the calendar

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