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

Word bank: craft · mate · club · cabinet · pound · rule

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rule — a law
  4. craft — boats
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. club — for golf
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. club — a group
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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