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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — in music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pound — a weight
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. key — the most important part
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. current — electric
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. current — of water
  19. wake — a trail
  20. chest — a box
  21. current — happening now
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. court — for sport

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