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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ground — a position
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. roll — a list
  7. ground — crushed
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pound — a weight
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — shares
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — goods

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