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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bark · scale · rule · degree · bore · cabinet · cap · shower

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cap — a lid
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cap — of ice
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cap — a hat
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rule — government
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. scale — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — to shout

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