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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.

Words on the sheet
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: stock · cabinet · craft · pitcher · spring · deal · kid · root

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spring — a coil
  3. kid — child
  4. stock — shares
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. craft — boats
  9. root — of a word
  10. spring — of water
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spring — the season
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a skill
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stock — goods
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — a jug

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