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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. craft — boats
  14. cue — a hint
  15. plane — a tool
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rush — hurry
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rush — a thrill

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