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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. craft — a skill
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bound — certain
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pass — a permit
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fork — to eat with

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