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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. plane — a tool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. content — happy
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. content — the amount
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. swing — music

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