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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. scale — in music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. scale — size or range
  7. land — a country
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. land — to come down
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hand — help
  16. land — ground
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. foot — a measure
  20. hand — in cards
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pound — a weight
  24. hand — part of the body

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