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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ground — a position
  7. cap — a hat
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — for money
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — crushed
  24. date — on the calendar

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