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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. drill — army training
  6. pass — a permit
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bank — for money
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bark — of a tree

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