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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bark — to shout
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — for digging
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mate — to breed
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bark — of a tree

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