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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: scale · ruler · march · court · bark · hide · drill · key

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. scale — in music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bark — to shout
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. court — of law
  16. march — the month
  17. court — of a king
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. court — for sport
  21. key — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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