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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rule — government
  3. bark — to shout
  4. scale — in music
  5. hand — help
  6. rash — a series
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rule — a law
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bank — for money
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rash — hasty
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bank — for money
  23. scale — size or range
  24. hand — part of the body

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