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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: race · scale · plane · bark · bay · bowl · stand · net

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. net — after costs
  10. bark — to shout
  11. scale — in music
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. race — a contest
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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