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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitch — completely
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mate — a friend
  10. current — electric
  11. mate — a partner
  12. game — wild animals
  13. scale — in music
  14. game — a match
  15. mate — to breed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. current — of water
  24. game — a kind of play

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