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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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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. net — after costs
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. roll — a list
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. drill — the tool
  12. net — for catching
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. bark — to shout
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. net — in sport
  24. rest — a break

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