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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. plane — a tool
  10. march — the month
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. ball — a dance
  15. object — a thing
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wound — an injury
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. pound — a weight
  23. march — the month
  24. bulb — for light

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