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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rash — hasty
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pound — a weight
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. content — happy
  19. rash — a series
  20. content — the amount
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mate — a partner
  23. sharp — clever
  24. craft — boats

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