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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: staff · craft · band · bear · mark · fork · jam · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. band — a music group
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pound — a weight
  7. band — a ring
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. staff — employees

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