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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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468
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 · pound · object · fall · craft · mark · court · spring

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pound — a weight
  4. object — an aim
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — of law
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. court — of a king
  11. spring — the season
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. court — for sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spring — of water
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. craft — a skill

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