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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 120 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: pound · bear · cabinet · track · land · craft · cell · object

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. object — to protest
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. track — to keep track
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. track — a path
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. object — an aim
  15. craft — a skill
  16. land — ground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. object — a thing
  20. land — to come down
  21. craft — boats
  22. land — a country
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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