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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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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: plane · coach · mine · rule · trunk · jam · pit · pound

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. plane — a tool
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pound — a weight
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rule — government
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rule — a law
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mine — for digging
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pound — to hit hard

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