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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. suit — in cards
  3. scale — in music
  4. spring — of water
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — shares
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. staff — employees
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. suit — to fit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — to rip
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stock — goods
  20. tear — from crying
  21. scale — size or range
  22. suit — clothes
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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