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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: pound · dip · pass · court · craft · rash · plane · arm

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. plane — a tool
  3. court — of law
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. court — for sport
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. craft — a skill
  12. dip — to sink
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. court — of a king
  21. rash — a series
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rash — hasty

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