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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. present — a gift
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. present — the time now
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pound — a weight
  17. present — there
  18. ball — a great time

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