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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: bark · last · plane · suit · cap · scale · bore · bass

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. last — final
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. scale — in music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bore — to drill
  16. scale — size or range
  17. suit — in cards
  18. last — finally
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. last — to go on
  22. bore — to tire
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bass — low music

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