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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. kid — to tease
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. present — a gift
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. season — of the year
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. season — in sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pound — a weight
  17. vault — a safe
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. present — the time now
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — child
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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