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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 · bulb · branch · scale · saw · ball · bark · pound

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ball — a great time
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. scale — size or range
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. branch — a division
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pound — a weight
  14. saw — the tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. scale — in music
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ball — a round shape

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