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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 · pound · date · chair · toast · nail · fork · firm

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. firm — decided
  3. pound — a weight
  4. toast — bread
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. date — the fruit
  11. firm — steady
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. firm — a company
  22. fork — in a road
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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