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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: plane · racket · wind · key · bowl · shower · suit · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. plane — a tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. suit — to fit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. key — in music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wind — moving air
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. suit — clothes
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — the most important part
  22. shower — rain
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wind — to turn a key

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