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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · stick · spell · suit · pop · scale · racket · cold

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pop — soda
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bark — to shout
  6. scale — in music
  7. pop — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spell — magic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spell — a short time
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spell — letters
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — not warm
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cold — the Cold War

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