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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. fork — in a road
  5. firm — a company
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. current — electric
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. scale — in music
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. track — a song
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — of water
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. current — happening now
  21. track — to keep track
  22. court — of a king
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. track — a path

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