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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: stand · firm · club · game · bark · season · plane · pound

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. firm — steady
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. season — of the year
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. firm — decided
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. club — for golf
  15. game — a match
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pound — a weight
  19. season — in sport
  20. club — a group
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. firm — a company
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stand — on your feet

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