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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: wake · mouse · cold · craft · fork · mug · scale · pound

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. craft — a skill
  10. scale — in music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cold — an illness
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mouse — the animal

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