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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. last — finally
  3. spell — letters
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. last — to go on
  9. spell — magic
  10. last — final
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. spell — a short time
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pop — soda
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pop — music

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