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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
468
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 · bass · field · tube · fork · pound · bore · mouse

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. tube — the underground
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bore — to drill
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. plane — a tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. field — farmland
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bore — to tire
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. fork — to eat with
  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