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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. field — a subject
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mug — a cup
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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