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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pound — a weight
  3. scale — size or range
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. plane — a tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. spring — of water
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. chip — for betting
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. spring — the season
  23. scale — in music
  24. staff — a stick

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