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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 · prune · perch · pound · foot · fork · scale · bark

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fork — in a road
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. perch — the fish
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bark — to shout
  18. prune — to trim
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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