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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. track — a path
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. file — a tool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. track — a song
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. file — a line of people
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. present — the time now
  23. file — a document
  24. nail — for a hammer

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