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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: present · fork · plane · pound · jam · shower · mark · stand

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mark — a grade
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. present — there
  20. mark — a trace
  21. shower — rain
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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