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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.

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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 · coach · object · current · scale · pound · cap · march

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cap — of ice
  3. object — to protest
  4. cap — a hat
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. current — happening now
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. scale — size or range
  9. march — the month
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. object — a thing
  13. current — electric
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. object — an aim
  18. plane — a tool
  19. march — the month
  20. current — of water
  21. march — music
  22. scale — in music
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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