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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. key — in music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ball — a dance
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. row — a line
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. plane — a tool
  13. dip — to sink
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. row — to paddle
  19. key — the most important part
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. key — for a lock
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. plane — in geometry

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