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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. shower — rain
  3. fork — in a road
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ground — crushed
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. court — for sport
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. court — of a king
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. court — of law
  23. pound — a weight
  24. ground — a position

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