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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cap — of ice
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. season — in sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. scale — in music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. sharp — clever

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