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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pop — to visit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pop — soda
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fine — all right
  11. pop — music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fine — high quality
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. stand — for spectators

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