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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: stock · last · snap · cabinet · bowl · file · rock · craft

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. file — a line of people
  5. last — finally
  6. rock — music
  7. file — a document
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. snap — to click
  14. rock — a stone
  15. file — a tool
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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