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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. tube — a container
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rule — a law
  6. field — farmland
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. field — for sport
  14. stand — to bear
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. field — a subject
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bark — to shout
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ruler — for measuring

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