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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. root — of a word
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pound — a weight
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ground — the earth
  10. root — the cause
  11. game — a match
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. net — in sport
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ground — crushed
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ground — a position
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. net — for catching
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. net — after costs

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