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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — the season
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — a grade
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pop — music
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cell — in biology
  24. fan — a supporter

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