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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: drill · bound · last · mate · craft · mug · pound · club

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pound — a weight
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mug — a face
  5. drill — army training
  6. mate — a partner
  7. last — final
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. club — for golf
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mate — a friend
  12. last — to go on
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — finally
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bound — tied together
  17. club — a group
  18. bound — obliged
  19. drill — the tool
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — for dancing
  23. mug — a cup
  24. craft — a skill

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