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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. key — in music
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. field — farmland
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. field — for sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. field — a subject
  24. sharp — clever

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