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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · lean · cabinet · pound · march · club · arm · game

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. march — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. march — the month
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. march — the month
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. club — for golf
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. game — a match
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lean — thin
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. arm — part of the body

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