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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: cabinet · lash · stock · bark · ball · sharp · bore · march

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. sharp — clever
  8. march — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ball — a great time
  13. march — the month
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — to shout
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stock — shares
  19. march — the month
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bore — gave birth

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