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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. degree — temperature
  4. plane — a tool
  5. chip — to eat
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fine — high quality
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — a skill
  12. degree — an amount
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. march — music
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. degree — from a university
  20. craft — boats
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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