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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: pound · craft · file · content · hand · deal · mark · leaves

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. content — the amount
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. hand — help
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pound — a weight
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. craft — boats
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. mark — a grade

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