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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: rash · ground · fine · file · stick · pit · bark · scale

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bark — to shout
  4. file — a document
  5. ground — a position
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. file — a tool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. pit — in a race
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fine — all right

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