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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pop — soda
  4. land — a country
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pop — music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. land — to come down
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. current — electric
  24. land — ground

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