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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.

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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ground — the earth
  5. scale — in music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. scale — size or range
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kick — in football
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — crushed
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ground — a position
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — a container
  21. bark — to shout
  22. tube — the underground
  23. last — final
  24. kick — a thrill

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