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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. scale — in music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bound — certain
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rash — a series
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bark — to shout
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bound — obliged
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. saw — the tool
  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