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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.

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: craft · spring · cabinet · cue · bark · squash · chest · club

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chest — of your body
  17. craft — a skill
  18. chest — a box
  19. club — a group
  20. cue — for pool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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