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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
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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 · march · toast · pound · ground · saw · bound · ruler

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. ground — a position
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bound — certain
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. saw — the tool
  9. march — the month
  10. toast — bread
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. march — the month
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ground — the earth
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. plane — an aircraft

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