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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pound — a weight
  3. plane — a tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. staff — a stick
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — certain
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. swing — in golf
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. current — electric
  15. mark — a trace
  16. staff — employees
  17. bound — tied together
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. track — a path
  21. swing — music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mark — a grade

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