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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · cabinet · craft · content · bark · ball · snap · suit

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — to fit
  13. content — the amount
  14. snap — to click
  15. bark — to shout
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ball — a great time
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. content — happy
  24. cabinet — ministers

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