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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 · club · tube · cabinet · fan · last · ground · pound

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. tube — a container
  3. last — finally
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. ground — the earth
  8. club — for golf
  9. last — to go on
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ground — a position
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. last — final
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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