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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ball — a dance
  3. land — a country
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. land — to come down
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. present — a gift
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. plane — a tool
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pound — a weight
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. present — there
  20. suit — clothes
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. present — the time now
  24. land — ground

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