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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. track — a path
  3. scale — size or range
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. tube — a container
  7. can — a tin
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tube — the underground
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bark — to shout
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. track — a song
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. track — to keep track
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. can — to be able to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. can — a tin

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