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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kid — to tease
  3. scale — in music
  4. current — of water
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. current — happening now
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. current — electric
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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