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

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. court — for sport
  6. firm — decided
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. court — of a king
  13. firm — steady
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — a company
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. band — a music group
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. track — a song
  23. wake — a trail
  24. court — of law

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