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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 · ground · last · bark · band · pound · ball · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ball — a great time
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ground — a position
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. object — an aim
  17. last — final
  18. object — to protest
  19. last — to go on
  20. band — a music group
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pound — a weight
  24. last — finally

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