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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: suit · spring · deal · season · pound · wax · craft · content

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. season — in sport
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spring — the season
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spring — a coil
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. content — the amount
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. suit — to fit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. season — of the year
  17. deal — to handle
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. content — happy
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. craft — boats
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pound — a weight
  24. spring — of water

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