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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. press — to push
  10. current — happening now
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fork — in a road
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. current — of water
  16. press — newspapers
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. scale — in music
  23. current — electric
  24. scale — size or range

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