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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. scale — in music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fall — the season
  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