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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · bark · can · bore · rash · scale

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bore — to tire
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rash — a series
  9. can — a tin
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bark — to shout
  14. scale — in music
  15. can — a tin
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rash — hasty

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