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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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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: bark · cap · scale · wind · kid · bowl · stick · bound

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bound — certain
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cap — of ice
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bound — tied together
  18. kid — child
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. scale — in music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bark — of a tree

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