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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — to fit
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mark — a trace
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. scale — in music
  8. march — the month
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mark — a grade
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. snap — to click
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — clothes
  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