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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mark — a grade
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. key — in music
  6. row — a line
  7. cap — of ice
  8. present — the time now
  9. rash — a series
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cap — a lid
  15. key — for a lock
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. key — the most important part
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pound — a weight

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