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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · stick · plane · date · land · pitcher · pound · rest

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rest — a break
  3. land — to come down
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rest — what's left
  7. land — a country
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. date — the fruit
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — a face
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. land — ground
  23. pound — a weight
  24. date — on the calendar

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