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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: capital · bowl · toast · plane · chair · snap · mark · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. toast — bread
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to click
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. capital — a city
  19. pound — a weight
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. capital — money
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chair — a leader
  24. capital — a big letter

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