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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.

Words on the sheet
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: staff · pound · craft · leaves · fine · temple · season · mark

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fine — high quality
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. craft — boats
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. season — in sport
  13. craft — a skill
  14. season — of the year
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. staff — employees
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. staff — employees
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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