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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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468
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: bark · craft · staff · spring · cabinet · bowl · suit · club

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. craft — boats
  6. suit — to fit
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. staff — employees
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. craft — a skill
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — the season
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spring — of water
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. suit — in cards
  23. spring — a coil
  24. staff — a stick

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