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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. pop — music
  2. net — for catching
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — a phone
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — after costs
  16. pop — soda
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chair — a leader
  23. net — in sport
  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