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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. cue — a signal
  4. object — a thing
  5. cue — for pool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. land — ground
  10. pound — a weight
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pit — a hole
  15. land — a country
  16. cue — a hint
  17. land — to come down
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pit — in a race
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. plane — 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