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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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Word bank
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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: mug · craft · stand · pound · wake · hand · pit · staff

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. staff — employees
  3. mug — a cup
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mug — a face
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — to bear
  22. craft — boats
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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