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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: stand · plane · bark · jam · root · band · mouse · perch

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. band — a music group
  3. root — of a word
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. band — a ring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. plane — a tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stand — to bear
  19. root — the cause
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. perch — for a bird

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