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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — a tin
  5. pound — a weight
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. last — final
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. game — a match
  15. current — happening now
  16. last — to go on
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — of water
  20. last — finally
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. can — to be able to
  23. row — to paddle
  24. game — a kind of play

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