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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chip — to eat
  3. swing — music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fork — in a road
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. chip — for betting
  17. plane — a tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. swing — to play on
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. pound — to hit hard

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