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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bark — to shout
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rock — music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — the time now
  19. scale — in music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — all right
  24. present — there

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