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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stock — goods
  5. bore — to tire
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bound — certain
  15. stock — shares
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fork — in a road
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — obliged
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pound — a weight
  24. plane — a tool

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