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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fine — high quality
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. branch — a division
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. ball — a dance
  12. scale — in music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. scale — size or range
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fine — all right
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. sharp — with an edge

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