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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wake — a trail
  10. object — a thing
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. object — an aim
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. object — to protest
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. scale — in music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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