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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fine — high quality
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. plane — a tool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pop — soda
  8. pound — a weight
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fine — all right
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pop — to visit
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. staff — employees
  18. current — happening now
  19. deal — to handle
  20. current — of water
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pop — music
  23. current — electric
  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