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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. degree — from a university
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bark — to shout
  19. degree — an amount
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. scale — size or range
  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