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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. scale — in music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — low music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bark — to shout
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. drill — army training
  24. calf — of the leg

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