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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. clip — for paper
  3. hand — help
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. clip — a video
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. clip — to cut
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. plane — an aircraft

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