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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chip — to eat
  3. file — a document
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chip — for betting
  10. plane — a tool
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. date — the fruit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pound — a weight
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. file — a tool

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