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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mine — for digging
  4. ball — a great time
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. field — a subject
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. field — farmland
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pound — a weight
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. field — for sport

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