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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rash — a series
  3. key — for a lock
  4. board — a committee
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. last — to go on
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. key — the most important part
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. key — in music
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. last — final
  14. rash — hasty
  15. board — to get on
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. last — finally
  24. rash — on the skin

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