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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: march · pound · coach · plane · pop · snap · ruler · chip

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — music
  4. snap — to click
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chip — for betting
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. march — the month
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pop — to visit
  14. chip — to eat
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pop — soda
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pop — music
  22. pound — a weight
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chip — in a computer

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