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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: staff · craft · cabinet · bat · mate · date · can · bank

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. staff — employees
  4. mate — to breed
  5. staff — employees
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bat — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bank — for money
  15. craft — a skill
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. craft — boats
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bank — for money
  24. date — on the calendar

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