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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. court — of law
  3. spring — of water
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fork — in a road
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. pound — a weight
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. court — for sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. charge — in control

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