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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pit — in a race
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. face — to point toward
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. face — part of the head
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. scale — in music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. face — to confront
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. scale — size or range
  18. game — a match
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bark — to shout
  24. leaves — lets stay

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