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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stock — shares
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mug — a face
  7. bark — to shout
  8. perch — the fish
  9. clip — a video
  10. scale — in music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mug — a cup
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stock — goods
  21. clip — to cut
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — the animal

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