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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. scale — in music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. firm — decided
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. file — a document
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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