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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · fork · press · pound · kick · plane

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pound — a weight
  6. plane — a tool
  7. press — newspapers
  8. firm — steady
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. firm — decided
  12. press — to push
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fork — in a road
  15. firm — a company
  16. press — a publisher
  17. kick — in football
  18. fork — a garden 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