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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. track — a song
  5. scale — in music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cap — a lid
  8. track — to keep track
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a path
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lie — to recline
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stock — goods
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — shares

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