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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mate — a friend
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — to breed
  13. drill — army training
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mate — a partner
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pound — a weight
  24. capital — a city

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