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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. scale — size or range
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ground — a position
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — in music

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