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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 120 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: kid · pop · plane · scale · coach · pound · stand · bark

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. plane — a tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. kid — child
  8. stand — to bear
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. kid — to tease
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pop — soda
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pop — music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pound — a weight
  24. coach — a trainer

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