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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 120 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: rash · game · cabinet · craft · bat · stock · suit · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stock — goods
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. game — a match
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — wild animals
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rash — a series
  19. craft — boats
  20. stock — shares
  21. craft — a skill
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cabinet — ministers

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