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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: pound · stick · plane · ball · charge · mouse · wound · foot

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. charge — a price
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. foot — a measure
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. charge — in control
  21. pound — a weight
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mouse — the animal

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