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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. plane — a tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. ground — the earth
  12. club — for golf
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — crushed
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ground — a position
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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