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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 116 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
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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: pitcher · squash · stand · scale · club · bark · tear · plane

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. tear — to rip
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bark — to shout
  7. squash — the sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. club — for dancing
  10. tear — from crying
  11. plane — a tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stand — to bear
  18. scale — size or range
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. club — for golf
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. club — a group

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