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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. object — a thing
  3. bore — to drill
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. object — to protest
  6. net — after costs
  7. rash — a series
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rash — hasty
  10. scale — size or range
  11. object — an aim
  12. net — in sport
  13. bore — to tire
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. net — for catching
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bore — gave birth

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