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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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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 · kid · board · stand · pound · toast · mine · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mine — for digging
  7. board — a committee
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. kid — to tease
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. object — to protest
  14. craft — boats
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stand — to bear
  18. object — a thing
  19. kid — child
  20. pound — a weight
  21. board — to get on
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — bread

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