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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 116 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: pound · cabinet · stock · bank · ground · bark · craft · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — boats
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — goods
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bank — for money
  23. stock — shares
  24. ground — a position

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