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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 120 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pound — a weight
  3. plane — a tool
  4. march — music
  5. land — to come down
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. march — the month
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. land — ground
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. march — the month
  12. net — for catching
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fine — high quality
  15. sharp — clever
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fine — all right
  19. land — a country
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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