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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: toast · craft · bark · cabinet · stock · current · swing · ball

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stock — goods
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. swing — in golf
  5. toast — bread
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. craft — boats
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bark — to shout
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. current — happening now
  22. swing — music
  23. ball — a dance
  24. craft — a skill

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