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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.

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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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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 · rule · snap · arm · fork · can · bark · mouse

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. snap — to click
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — in music
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. scale — for weighing

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