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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wax — to grow
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — money
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. capital — a city
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pit — in a race
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pound — to hit hard

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