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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. hand — help
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. drill — army training
  7. plane — a tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. hand — in cards
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pound — a weight
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. drill — the tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. board — a committee
  16. foot — a measure
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. board — to get on
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. deal — a big deal

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