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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bark — to shout
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. swing — music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. swing — in golf
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. squash — the sport
  24. tear — from crying

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