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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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468
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: hand · bark · tear · bowl · scale · chest · foot · object

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hand — in cards
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chest — a box
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hand — help
  9. bark — to shout
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. scale — size or range
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. chest — of your body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. object — an aim
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. scale — for weighing

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