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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cue — a hint
  4. firm — a company
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hand — help
  7. track — a song
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. track — to keep track
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pound — a weight
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bay — a horse colour

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