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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 120 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: fine · fork · rest · bark · mug · scale · bass · ground

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — a position
  3. rest — a break
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mug — to rob
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. scale — in music
  16. mug — a face
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ground — the earth
  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