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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: row · season · march · bay · cabinet · saw · stock · bark

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — of the year
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. march — the month
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. row — a line
  11. stock — shares
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — in sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. march — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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