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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rule — government
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rule — a law
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pop — music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. scale — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. scale — size or range
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pop — to visit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pop — soda
  24. trunk — of a tree

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