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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. march — the month
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. suit — to fit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. suit — in cards
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. capital — money
  15. march — music
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pound — a weight
  18. capital — a city
  19. suit — clothes
  20. march — the month
  21. ground — the earth
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  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