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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ground — the earth
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bass — low music
  9. ground — a position
  10. tear — from crying
  11. charge — a price
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ground — crushed
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. charge — in control
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. tear — to rip
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pound — for dogs
  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