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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. march — music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. club — a group
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. season — in sport
  12. club — for golf
  13. wind — moving air
  14. club — for dancing
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. march — the month
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stem — to come from
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. season — of the year

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