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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: saw · bear · fork · leaves · bark · scale · pound · march

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. march — the month
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. march — music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. scale — size or range
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. march — the month
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pound — a weight

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