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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. file — a line of people
  5. field — farmland
  6. file — a document
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wake — a trail
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. net — in sport
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. file — a tool
  24. chair — a leader

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