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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.

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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: kid · pop · craft · board · stock · cabinet · straw · coach

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — boats
  6. pop — to visit
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kid — child
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stock — goods
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pop — soda
  17. craft — a skill
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stock — shares
  22. kid — to tease
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. board — to get on

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