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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: bark · temple · sharp · craft · stock · spring · toast · foot

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stock — goods
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. craft — a skill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stock — shares
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bark — to shout
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. spring — a coil
  15. toast — bread
  16. sharp — clever
  17. craft — boats
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. spring — of water
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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