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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: cabinet · mark · bass · pound · rule · craft · present · sharp

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — a gift
  4. bass — the fish
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. present — the time now
  8. bass — low music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — boats
  20. rule — government
  21. pound — a weight
  22. present — there
  23. mark — a grade
  24. sharp — with an edge

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