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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: craft · pound · rash · can · bound · mark · swing · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. swing — music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rash — hasty
  6. swing — in golf
  7. can — a tin
  8. craft — boats
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mark — a trace
  12. staff — a stick
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rash — a series
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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