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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: bound · scale · fork · ruler · bark · mine · spring · foot

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. spring — of water
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fork — in a road
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — the season
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bark — to shout
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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