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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — music
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. scale — in music
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bark — to shout
  13. sharp — clever
  14. row — a line
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rock — a stone
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. stand — on your feet
  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