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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. vault — a safe
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — a list
  9. perch — the fish
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. roll — a cake
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bark — to shout
  21. saw — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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