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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. scale — in music
  3. clip — a video
  4. stock — shares
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. court — for sport
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stock — goods
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spell — magic
  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