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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. court — of a king
  4. bark — to shout
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cap — a lid
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cap — a hat
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — low music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. court — of law
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bass — the fish
  24. court — for sport

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