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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.

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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spring — of water
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mug — a face
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. spring — a coil
  15. board — to get on
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. fine — all right
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. craft — boats
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — the season
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — a skill

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