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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: bowl · craft · cabinet · march · bark · tube · deal · sharp

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bark — to shout
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — the underground
  18. march — music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. tube — a container
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bowl — a dish

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