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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. firm — a company
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. track — a path
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stock — shares
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. press — a publisher

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