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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rush — hurry
  8. march — music
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. scale — in music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bark — to shout

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