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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: hand · scale · rock · fan · degree · suit · bark · face

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. hand — help
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. hand — in cards
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. suit — to fit
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rock — music
  15. suit — clothes
  16. degree — temperature
  17. scale — in music
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rock — a stone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. degree — an amount
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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