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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fine — all right
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. present — there
  7. bark — to shout
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bank — of a river
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bank — for money
  14. present — a gift
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. present — the time now
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. saw — the tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — in music
  24. pound — a weight

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