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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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468
Word bank
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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rest — a break
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pound — a weight
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a dance
  24. plane — a tool

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