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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. plane — a tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. staff — a stick
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mark — a grade
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rule — government
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. prune — to trim
  24. staff — employees

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