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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. track — to keep track
  5. toast — bread
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. track — a path
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — low music
  11. march — the month
  12. bass — the fish
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pound — a weight
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. march — the month
  21. track — a song
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. march — music

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