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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. drill — the tool
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. drill — army training
  8. clip — for paper
  9. drill — a practice
  10. firm — decided
  11. clip — to cut
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. clip — a video
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. firm — a company
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. firm — steady
  18. scale — in music
  19. spring — the season
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. scale — size or range

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