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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bass — the fish
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rock — a stone
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bass — low music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rock — music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tube — a container
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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