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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mark — a grade
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fine — a penalty

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