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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. net — for catching
  10. bass — low music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pound — a weight
  14. chip — for betting
  15. plane — a tool
  16. net — in sport
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bass — the fish
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — after costs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chip — to eat

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