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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. net — for catching
  4. object — to protest
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fine — high quality
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. object — an aim
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. spring — of water
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pop — soda
  15. net — in sport
  16. scale — in music
  17. net — after costs
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pop — music
  22. fine — all right
  23. object — a thing
  24. bark — to shout

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