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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. land — a country
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. board — a committee
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. firm — decided
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. land — to come down
  17. firm — steady
  18. rest — what's left
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — size or range
  21. land — ground
  22. board — to get on
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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