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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. 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. pound — for dogs
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pound — a weight
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. 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