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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. shower — to wash
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. net — after costs
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. rest — a break
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. net — in sport
  22. shower — rain
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cap — a lid

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