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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hand — help
  4. rock — music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pit — in a race
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. current — electric
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pop — soda
  15. season — of the year
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pop — music
  18. season — in sport
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rock — a stone
  21. current — happening now
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pop — to visit
  24. current — of water

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