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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. craft — boats
  4. bank — for money
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. staff — employees
  9. craft — a skill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. degree — from a university
  13. staff — employees
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bank — of a river
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. prune — to trim
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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