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

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — music
  15. firm — decided
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. field — for sport
  18. firm — steady
  19. plane — a tool
  20. field — a subject
  21. firm — a company
  22. field — farmland
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pop — soda

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