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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: deal · bound · mate · craft · nail · mark · pound · can

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bound — obliged
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mate — a partner
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bound — certain
  21. mate — a friend
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pound — for dogs

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