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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pound — a weight
  3. staff — a stick
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a ring
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. staff — employees
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. coach — a trainer

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