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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: sharp · rock · game · mouse · pit · plane · pound · rule

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rock — music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rule — a law
  13. pound — a weight
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pit — a hole
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. game — a match
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rule — government
  24. mouse — for 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