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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
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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: rule · ground · scale · rest · pitch · bark · fan · temple

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rest — what's left
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ground — the earth
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rest — a break
  20. scale — in music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rule — a law

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