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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chip — for betting
  8. last — finally
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bark — to shout
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ball — a dance

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