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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 · pound · date · chair · toast · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. date — the fruit
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pound — a weight
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft

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