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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. spell — magic
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rush — hurry
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bark — to shout
  13. game — wild animals
  14. club — for golf
  15. march — music
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. club — a group
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — in music
  20. game — a match
  21. march — the month
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. march — the month

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