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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · root · saw · file · march · bass · plane · pound

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. march — the month
  8. pound — a weight
  9. root — of a word
  10. net — after costs
  11. root — the cause
  12. saw — the tool
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — of a plant
  15. march — music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. net — for catching
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. march — the month

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