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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wind — moving air
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — soda
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — music

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