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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stock — goods
  8. kid — child
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. band — a music group
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stock — shares
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. band — a ring
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. board — to get on

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