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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 116 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.

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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: bear · kid · bark · deal · ruler · scale · chip · bat

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. scale — in music
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. kid — to tease
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — the animal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bark — to shout
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. deal — to handle
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. kid — child
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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