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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: cold · ruler · pitcher · wake · cabinet · fine · craft · pound

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fine — all right
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. craft — boats
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fine — high quality
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — an illness
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pound — a weight

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