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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. last — final
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. toast — bread
  11. pop — soda
  12. chip — for betting
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. sharp — clever
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pop — music
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. last — to go on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. last — finally
  24. pound — for dogs

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